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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXIII - N° 114
DATE 24-05-2013
Summary:
- POPE RECALLS TRAGEDY OF REFUGEES, REAFFIRMING THAT CHURCH ALWAYS CALLS FOR
HUMAN DIGNITY TO BE PROTECTED
- SET ASIDE ARROGANCE, LET US BOW BEFORE THOSE WHOM THE LORD HAS ENTRUSTED TO
OUR CARE
- CARDINAL SANDRI TAKES POPE'S GREETINGS TO LEBANON AND JORDAN
- AUDIENCES
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
___________________________________________________________
POPE RECALLS TRAGEDY OF REFUGEES, REAFFIRMING THAT CHURCH ALWAYS CALLS FOR
HUMAN DIGNITY TO BE PROTECTED
Vatican City, 24 May 2013 (VIS) - “The trafficking of persons is an
ignoble activity, a disgrace to our society that calls itself 'civilized'!
Exploiters and clients at all levels should make a serious examination of
conscience, within themselves
and before God!” These were the Pope's words to the participants in the
plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants
and Itinerant People, gathered in Rome to discuss the issue of “The
Church's Pastoral Care
in the Context of Forced Migration”.
The assembly coincides with the publication of the document: “Welcoming
Christ in Refugees and Persons Displaced by Force”, which calls
attention to the millions of refugees, displaced, and stateless persons. It
also addresses the scourge of
human trafficking, which more and more frequently affects children who suffer
the worst forms of abuse, including being forced into armed conflicts.
“Today,” the pontiff exclaimed, “the Church renews her
strong call that the dignity and centrality of each person be always
protected, in respect of fundamental rights … rights that she asks be
concretely extended to the
millions of men and women in every continent whose rights are not recognized.
In a world where there is so much talk of rights it seems that the only one to
have rights is money. … We are living in a world ruled by money. We
live in a world, in a
culture ruled by the fetishism of money.” In this context, the Pope
noted that the dicastery responsible for the pastoral care of migrants and
itinerant people is very worried by “situations where the family of
nations is called to intervene
in a spirit of fraternal solidarity with programmes of protection, often
established against the backdrop of tragic events that almost daily are
affecting the lives of many people. I express my appreciation and my gratitude
and encourag
e you
to continue along the path of service to our poorest and most marginalized
brothers and sisters.”
The attention of the Church, who is “mother”, is expressed
“with special tenderness and closeness for those forced to flee their
country and live in-between rootlessness and integration. This tension
destroys a person. Christian
compassion—this 'suffering with' [con-passione]—is expressed above
all in the commitment to know about the events that force one to leave their
country and, where necessary, in giving voice to those who are unable to make
their cry of sorrow
and oppression heard. In this,” he said to the assembly's participants,
“you carry out an important task, as well as in making the Christian
communities aware of their many brothers and sisters who are marked by wounds
that scar their
existence: violence, abuse of power, distance from family, traumatic events,
flight from home, and uncertainty about their future in refugee camps. These
are all dehumanizing elements and they must compel every Christian and the
entire commun
ity to
a concrete attention.”
However, the Holy Father also invited them to also see in the eyes of refugees
and forcibly displaced persons ”the light of hope. It is a hope that is
expressed in expectation for the future, the desire for friendly
relationships, the desire to
participate in the society that is hosting them, even through language
learning, access to employment, and education for the youngest. I admire the
courage of those who hope to gradually resume a normal life, awaiting joy and
love to return and lighten
their existence. We all can and must nurture that hope!”
Finally, the Pope launched an appeal to governments, legislators, and the
entire international community to face the reality of forcibly displaced
persons “with effective initiatives and new approaches to safeguard
their dignity, to improve the
quality of their lives, and to meet the challenges that emerge from modern
forms of persecution, oppression, and slavery. It is, I emphasize, human
persons who appeal to the solidarity and support, who need urgent measures,
but also and above all who
need understanding and goodness. Their condition cannot leave us
indifferent.”
“As Church,” he concluded, “we remember that when we heal
the wounds of refugees, displaced persons, and victims of trafficking, we are
practising the commandment of love that Jesus has left us; when we identify
with the stranger, with
those who are suffering, with all the innocent victims of violence and
exploitation. … Here I would also like to recall the care that every
pastor and Christian community must have for the journey of faith of Christian
refugees and those forcibly
uprooted from their lives, as well as for that of Christian emigrants. They
require special pastoral care that respects their traditions and accompanies
them in a harmonious integration into the ecclesial reality in which they find
themselves. Let us
not forget the flesh of Christ, who is in the flesh of the refugees. Their
flesh is that of Christ.”
___________________________________________________________
SET ASIDE ARROGANCE, LET US BOW BEFORE THOSE WHOM THE LORD HAS ENTRUSTED TO
OUR CARE
Vatican City, 24 May 2013 (VIS) – Yesterday afternoon in St. Peter's
Basilica, Pope Francis presided at the profession of faith with all the
Italian episcopacy gathered for their 65th general assembly. It was the first
time that the Holy Father
met with all the representatives of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI),
whom he greeted personally, one by one.
“The consequence of loving the Lord,” the Pope said to the
bishops, “is giving everything—absolutely everything, even up to
our very lives—for him. This is what must distinguish our pastoral
ministry: it is the litmus test
that says how deeply we have embraced the gift received in responding to
Jesus' call and how connected we are to the persons and the communities that
have been entrusted to us. We are not the expression of an organizational
structure or need. Even with
the service of our authority we are called to be marked by the presence of the
Risen Lord, to build the community, therefore, in fraternal charity. This
shouldn't be overlooked, however: even the greatest love, in fact, when it is
not continuously
nourished, grows weak and dies.”
“Lack of vigilance—we know—makes the shepherd lukewarm,
makes him distracted, forgetful, and even impatient. It seduces him with the
prospect of career, the lure of money, and compromises with the spirit of the
world. It makes him
lazy, transforming him into a functionary, a cleric more worried about self,
about organization and structures than the true good of the People of God. It
runs the risk then, as did the Apostle Peter, of denying the Lord, even though
formally presenting
itself as and speaking in his name. It obscures the holiness of the
hierarchical Mother Church, making it less fruitful.”
“Who are we, brothers, before God? What are our trials?... As it did for
Peter, Jesus' insistent and heartfelt question can leave us sorrowful and more
aware of the weakness of our freedom, beset as it is by thousands of internal
and external
constraints, which often arouse confusion, frustration, even disbelief. These
are certainly not the feelings or the attitudes that the Lord means to awaken.
Instead, the Enemy, the Devil, takes advantage of them to isolate us in
bitterness, in
complaint, and in discouragement. … Jesus, the Good Shepherd, neither
humiliates nor abandons us to remorse. In him, the Father's tenderness speaks
to us, comforting and restoring us. He leads us from the disintegration of
shame—because it
is truly shame that breaks us down—to the fabric of trust, restoring
courage, entrusting us again with responsibility, and delivering us to the
mission.”
"This is why," the Bishop of Rome concluded, "being Shepherds also means being
ready to walk amidst the flock: capable of hearing the silent story of those
who suffer and of sustaining the steps of those who are afraid of not making
it; careful to lift
up, to reassure, and to inspire hope. Through sharing with the poor our faith
comes out strengthened. Let us, therefore, set aside every type of arrogance
in order to bow before those whom the Lord has entrusted to our care. Among
these, a special
place, a very special place, let us keep for our priests. Especially for them
our hearts, our hands, and our doors must stay open at all times. They are the
first faithful that we bishops have: our priests.”
___________________________________________________________
CARDINAL SANDRI TAKES POPE'S GREETINGS TO LEBANON AND JORDAN
Vatican City, 24 May 2013 (VIS) – Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of
the Congregation for the Oriental Churches will travel to Lebanon from 24
– 28 May, continuing on to Jordan until 1 June. In addition to attending
the ordination of the
new Maronite Bishops of Argentina and Australia on Sunday, 26 May, he will
celebrate Mass at the inter-ritual Shrine of Our Lady of Zahle with the
participation of the Melkite Archbishop and other pastors of the local Eastern
Churches with their
respective faithful. The main intention of the prayer in these circumstances
will be the plea for peace in Syria, Lebanon, and the entire Middle East.
In the following days, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental
Churches will meet with the Maronite, Melkite, Syrian, and Armenian patriarchs
as well as some religious communities, especially the young volunteers of
Caritas Lebanon who, along
with other humanitarian organizations, are attempting to deal with the
enormous tragedy of refugees fleeing Syria.
The visit to Jordan will also be devoted to meeting the pastors and faithful
of the various Catholic communities, especially that of the Greek Melkite
communities in Petra and Philadelphia and the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem,
whose territory extends
throughout the country. On Thursday, 30 May, the cardinal will attend the
inauguration of the University of Madaba, belonging to the Latin Patriarchate
of Jerusalem. His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan is expected to attend.
Before returning to Rome,
the Cardinal will visit a camp of refugees who have fled from Syria and other
Middle Eastern regions.
To all, pastors and faithful, the government and the peoples of Lebanon and
Jordan, reads a press release, “the cardinal will bring the affectionate
greeting, sharing in the worries and the sorrows of these regions, of Pope
Francis, and imparting
the Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of closeness and hope in the Lord for the
countries of the entire Middle Eastern region.”
___________________________________________________________
AUDIENCES
Vatican City, 24 May 2013 (VIS) – This morning the Holy Father received:
- His excellency Mr. Marin Raykov Nikolov, prime minister of Bulgaria, with
his wife and entourage.
- His excellency Mr. Trajko Veljanovski, vice president of the former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, with his wife and entourage.
- Archbishop Orani Joao Tempesta, O. Cist., archbishop of Sao Sebastiao do
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
___________________________________________________________
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 24 May 2013 (VIS) – Today the Holy Father erected the new
diocese of Dolisie (area 25,930, population 210,000, Catholics 71,000, priests
32, religious 3) Democratic Republic of the Congo, with territory taken from
the Diocese of
Nkayi, making it a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Brazzaville. He appointed
Fr. Bienvenu Manamika Bafouakouahou as first bishop of the new diocese.
Bishop-elect Manamika Bafouakouahou, previously vicar general of the Diocese
of Kinkala, Democratic
Republic of the Congo, was born in Brazzaville in 1964 and was ordained a
priest in 1993. Since ordination he has served in several pastoral and
diocesan level roles, most recently, since 2004, as episcopal delegate for
diocesan Caritas and coordinator
of the Sant'Agostino Seminary of Kinkala.
___________________________________________________________
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VISnews130524
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE YEAR XXIII - N° 114DATE 24-05-2013
Summary: - POPE RECALLS TRAGEDY OF
REFUGEES, REAFFIRMING THAT CHURCH
ALWAYS CALLS FOR HUMAN DIGNITY TO BE PROTECTED - SET ASIDE ARROGANCE,
LET US BOW BEFORE THOSE WHOM THE LORD HAS ENTRUSTED TO OUR CARE -
CARDINAL SANDRI TAKES POPE'S GREETINGS TO LEBANON AND JORDAN -
AUDIENCES - OTHER PONTIFICAL
ACTS
POPE RECALLS TRAGEDY OF REFUGEES, REAFFIRMING THAT CHURCH ALWAYS CALLS FOR
HUMAN DIGNITY TO BE PROTECTED
Vatican City, 24 May 2013 (VIS) - “The trafficking of persons is an
ignoble activity, a disgrace to our society that calls itself 'civilized'!
Exploiters and clients at all levels should make a serious examination of
conscience, within
themselves and before God!” These were the Pope's words to the
participants in the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for the
Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, gathered in Rome to discuss
the issue of “The Church's
Pastoral Care in the Context of Forced Migration”.
The assembly coincides with the publication of the document:
ldquo;Welcoming Christ in Refugees and Persons Displaced by Force”,
which calls attention to the millions of refugees, displaced, and stateless
persons. It also addresses the scourge
of human trafficking, which more and more frequently affects children who
suffer the worst forms of abuse, including being forced into armed
conflicts.
“Today,” the pontiff exclaimed, “the Church renews her
strong call that the dignity and centrality of each person be always
protected, in respect of fundamental rights … rights that she asks be
concretely extended to the
millions of men and women in every continent whose rights are not recognized.
In a world where there is so much talk of rights it seems that the only one to
have rights is money. … We are living in a world ruled by money. We
live in a world, in a
culture ruled by the fetishism of money.” In this context, the Pope
noted that the dicastery responsible for the pastoral care of migrants and
itinerant people is very worried by “situations where the family of
nations is called to intervene
in a spirit of fraternal solidarity with programmes of protection, often
established against the backdrop of tragic events that almost daily are
affecting the lives of many people. I express my appreciation and my gratitude
and
encourage you to continue along the path of service to our poorest and most
marginalized brothers and sisters.”
The attention of the Church, who is “mother”, is expressed
“with special tenderness and closeness for those forced to flee their
country and live in-between rootlessness and integration. This tension
destroys a person. Christian
compassion—this 'suffering with' [con-passione]—is expressed above
all in the commitment to know about the events that force one to leave their
country and, where necessary, in giving voice to those who are unable to make
their cry of sorrow
and oppression heard. In this,” he said to the assembly's participants,
“you carry out an important task, as well as in making the Christian
communities aware of their many brothers and sisters who are marked by wounds
that scar their
existence: violence, abuse of power, distance from family, traumatic events,
flight from home, and uncertainty about their future in refugee camps. These
are all dehumanizing elements and they must compel every Christian and
the entire community to a concrete attention.”
However, the Holy Father also invited them to also see in the eyes of
refugees and forcibly displaced persons ”the light of hope. It is a hope
that is expressed in expectation for the future, the desire for friendly
relationships, the desire to
participate in the society that is hosting them, even through language
learning, access to employment, and education for the youngest. I admire the
courage of those who hope to gradually resume a normal life, awaiting joy and
love to return and lighten
their existence. We all can and must nurture that hope!”
Finally, the Pope launched an appeal to governments, legislators, and the
entire international community to face the reality of forcibly displaced
persons “with effective initiatives and new approaches to safeguard
their dignity, to improve the
quality of their lives, and to meet the challenges that emerge from modern
forms of persecution, oppression, and slavery. It is, I emphasize, human
persons who appeal to the solidarity and support, who need urgent measures,
but also and above all who
need understanding and goodness. Their condition cannot leave us
indifferent.”
“As Church,” he concluded, “we remember that when we heal
the wounds of refugees, displaced persons, and victims of trafficking, we are
practising the commandment of love that Jesus has left us; when we identify
with the stranger,
with those who are suffering, with all the innocent victims of violence and
exploitation. … Here I would also like to recall the care that every
pastor and Christian community must have for the journey of faith of Christian
refugees and those
forcibly uprooted from their lives, as well as for that of Christian
emigrants. They require special pastoral care that respects their traditions
and accompanies them in a harmonious integration into the ecclesial reality in
which they find themselves.
Let us not forget the flesh of Christ, who is in the flesh of the refugees.
Their flesh is that of Christ.”
SET ASIDE ARROGANCE, LET US BOW BEFORE THOSE WHOM THE LORD HAS ENTRUSTED TO
OUR CARE
Vatican City, 24 May 2013 (VIS) – Yesterday afternoon in St. Peter's
Basilica, Pope Francis presided at the profession of faith with all the
Italian episcopacy gathered for their 65th general assembly. It was the first
time that the Holy Father
met with all the representatives of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI),
whom he greeted personally, one by one.
“The consequence of loving the Lord,” the Pope said to the
bishops, “is giving everything—absolutely everything, even up to
our very lives—for him. This is what must distinguish our pastoral
ministry: it is the litmus
test that says how deeply we have embraced the gift received in responding to
Jesus' call and how connected we are to the persons and the communities that
have been entrusted to us. We are not the expression of an organizational
structure or need. Even
with the service of our authority we are called to be marked by the presence
of the Risen Lord, to build the community, therefore, in fraternal charity.
This shouldn't be overlooked, however: even the greatest love, in fact, when
it is not continuously
nourished, grows weak and dies.”
“Lack of vigilance—we know—makes the shepherd lukewarm,
makes him distracted, forgetful, and even impatient. It seduces him with the
prospect of career, the lure of money, and compromises with the spirit of the
world. It makes him
lazy, transforming him into a functionary, a cleric more worried about self,
about organization and structures than the true good of the People of God. It
runs the risk then, as did the Apostle Peter, of denying the Lord, even though
formally presenting
itself as and speaking in his name. It obscures the holiness of the
hierarchical Mother Church, making it less fruitful.”
“Who are we, brothers, before God? What are our trials?... As it did
for Peter, Jesus' insistent and heartfelt question can leave us sorrowful and
more aware of the weakness of our freedom, beset as it is by thousands of
internal and external
constraints, which often arouse confusion, frustration, even disbelief. These
are certainly not the feelings or the attitudes that the Lord means to awaken.
Instead, the Enemy, the Devil, takes advantage of them to isolate us in
bitterness, in
complaint, and in discouragement. … Jesus, the Good Shepherd, neither
humiliates nor abandons us to remorse. In him, the Father's tenderness speaks
to us, comforting and restoring us. He leads us from the disintegration of
shame—because it
is truly shame that breaks us down—to the fabric of trust, restoring
courage, entrusting us again with responsibility, and delivering us to the
mission.”
"This is why," the Bishop of Rome concluded, "being Shepherds also means
being ready to walk amidst the flock: capable of hearing the silent story of
those who suffer and of sustaining the steps of those who are afraid of not
making it; careful to
lift up, to reassure, and to inspire hope. Through sharing with the poor our
faith comes out strengthened. Let us, therefore, set aside every type of
arrogance in order to bow before those whom the Lord has entrusted to our
care. Among these, a special
place, a very special place, let us keep for our priests. Especially for them
our hearts, our hands, and our doors must stay open at all times. They are the
first faithful that we bishops have: our priests.”
CARDINAL SANDRI TAKES POPE'S GREETINGS TO LEBANON AND JORDAN
Vatican City, 24 May 2013 (VIS) – Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect
of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches will travel to Lebanon from 24
– 28 May, continuing on to Jordan until 1 June. In addition to attending
the ordination of
--- NetMgr/2 1.0y+
* Origin: NetMgr+ @ Sursum Corda! BBS Meridian MS USA (1:396/45)
