* Original message posted in: VATICAN.   
   * Crossposted in: IN_CATHOLIC.   
   VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE   
      
   TWENTIETH YEAR - N. 182   
   ENGLISH   
   MONDAY, 18 OCTOBER 2010   
      
   SUMMARY OF SYNOD OF BISHOPS: 15 - 18 OCTOBER   
      
   - Ninth General Congregation   
   - Tenth General Congregation   
   - Eleventh General Congregation   
      
   OTHER NEWS: 16 - 18 OCTOBER   
      
   - Holy Father Meets with Polish President   
   - Concert by Enoch zu Guttenberg in Honour of the Pope   
   - Benedict XVI Canonises Six Blesseds   
   - Angelus: Saints Are the Living Image of God's Love   
   - The Catholic Church Has Left Indelible Traces in Colombia   
   - El Salvador: Evangelisation, an Incentive against Violence   
   - Letter to Seminarians of Benedict XVI   
   - Audiences   
   - Other Pontifical Acts   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
   NINTH GENERAL CONGREGATION   
      
   VATICAN CITY, 15 OCT 2010 (VIS) - The Ninth General Congregation of the   
   Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops took place this   
   afternoon in the Synod Hall of the Vatican. The president delegate on duty   
   was Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental   
   Churches. The Holy Father was present for the period of free discussion at   
   the end of the session.   
      
     Extracts from some of the Synod Father's speeches are given below:   
      
   CARDINAL WILLIAM JOSEPH LEVADA, PREFECT OF THE CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE   
   OF THE FAITH. "My intervention will focus on the notion of the living   
   Tradition of the Church as taught in the Vatican Council II Constitution on   
   Divine Revelation 'Dei Verbum', and on the understanding of the role of the   
   Pope in Apostolic Tradition. ... Cardinal Newman, through his study of the   
   Fathers of the Patristic age and of the first Ecumenical Councils, found   
   precisely the living Tradition that led him to embrace the fullness of faith   
   in the Catholic Church. ... I would envision a useful study and exchange of   
   views about how the ministry of the Successor of Peter, with its essential   
   doctrinal characteristics, could be exercised in different ways, according   
   to the diverse needs of times and places. This remains a chapter of   
   ecclesiology to be further explored and completed. Such theological   
   reflection, however, does not supplant the vital testimony of the Catholics   
   of the Middle East to their Orthodox and Muslim brethren about how Church   
   doctrine develops in the living Apostolic Tradition, guided by Christ's gift   
   of the Holy Spirit to the Church's Magisterium in every age. This   
   Magisterium necessarily includes the role of the Pope as head of the   
   Apostolic College of Bishops, together with Christ's commission to confirm   
   His brethren in the unity of faith so that 'all may be one'".   
      
   MSGR. MIKAEL ANTOINE MOURADIAN, PATRIARCHAL VICAR OF THE INSTITUTE FOR THE   
   PATRIARCHAL CLERGY OF BZOMMAR, LEBANON. "It is true that the Middle East is   
   the Holy Land and the land of saints. This has been demonstrated by the   
   canonisations and beatifications that have taken place in recent years: Mar   
   Charbel, Naamat Allah al-Hardini, Rafka, Abouna Yaacoub, Ignace Maolyan, Al   
   Akh Stephan. However, this should not cloud our vision to the truth about   
   the Middle East, where there is also a crisis of vocations. ... What are the   
   causes for the decrease in religious vocations, what are the short-, mid-   
   and long-term consequences, and the possible solutions? ... (1) Primary   
   causes: The decline in the birth rate in Christian families. Material and   
   moral problems which families must face. A crisis of values. Difficulty in   
   committing to the long term. The emancipation of women. Crisis of faith.   
   Counter-witness by consecrated persons. (2) Possible solutions: Support the   
   family. Educate them in true values. Consecrated persons witness sincerely   
   to their faithfulness to Christ and to their consecration. Ensure a proper   
   discernment of vocations. Oversee proper spiritual guidance in vocations.   
   Obtain appropriate initial and permanent formation. ... It is also in the   
   believing and practicing family that vocations are born".   
      
   ARCHBISHOP CYRIL VASIL S.J., SECRETARY OF THE CONGREGATION FOR THE ORIENTAL   
   CHURCHES. "Synodality has a special bond with the mechanism for choosing   
   candidates to the episcopacy. Checks on the suitability of the candidates   
   should be carried out by the bishops and the Synod in a more appropriate   
   manner than sometimes happens at present, in order to facilitate and speed   
   up the process of pontifical assent. ... First and foremost, formative and   
   academic institutions must be constantly evaluated as regards the level of   
   cultural and spiritual formation they offer. The difficulties students   
   encounter in their higher studies outside the Eastern context, for example   
   in Rome, cannot be ignored and there is no point in hiding them. We have to   
   ask ourselves if the time has finally come to open a first cycle of Eastern   
   theological studies here in Rome, in an Eastern Theological Faculty. ... As   
   regards the faithful who move from the Middle East, claims are sometimes   
   made for a 'planetary' extension of Patriarchs' jurisdiction, as if this   
   were a right and a universal solution to the problem of the pastoral care of   
   migrants. It should be remembered that there is a great difference between   
   the claimed universal right and the detailed, justified request".   
      
   ARCHBISHOP MICHEL ABRASS B.A., AUXILIARY OF ANTIOCH OF THE GREEK-MELKITES,   
   SYRIA. "The question of choice of 'regime', as applicable to Lebanon, is a   
   serious problem affecting the laity today. Many lay persons ask themselves   
   what will become of them if they declare themselves as Christians, ...   
   something which depends on the degree of emancipation of their non-Christian   
   interlocutor, who in the Middle East is often a Muslim. These Christians   
   need some kind of 'positive secularism'. Where do they go to find it?   
   Presently, our 'lay faithful' are in self-denial. They must be given   
   legitimacy, and the only people with the power to provide it are   
   ecclesiastics, provided that it has been authorised by their statutes. We   
   think that Christians who so desire should be authorised to adopt a lay   
   statute, so long as it does not undermine the dogmas or the teachings of the   
   Churches, bearing in mind that we are in a land that is not solely   
   Christian".   
      
   ARCHBISHOP ATHANASE MATTI SHABA MATOKA OF BAGHDAD OF THE SYRIANS, IRAQ.   
   "Iraq is still in a situation of instability, suffering and war, the most   
   recent being the American occupation. Christians have always shared in the   
   sacrifices and tribulations, having lost martyrs in the wars and suffered   
   many different hardships. Since 2003, Christians have been victims of a   
   deadly situation which has caused mass emigration from Iraq. Although there   
   are no definite statistics, indications are that half the Christians have   
   abandoned Iraq and that there are only about 400,000 Christians left of the   
   800,000 who once lived there. The invasion of Iraq by America and its allies   
   brought to Iraq in general, and especially to its Christians, destruction   
   and ruin on all levels. ... Seven years have passed and Christianity is   
   still bleeding. Where is the world's conscience? All the world stands and   
   watches what is happening in Iraq, especially with regard to Christians. We   
   want to sound the alarm. We ask this question of the great powers: is it   
   true that there is a plan to empty the Middle East of Christians and that   
   Iraq is one of the victims? I think this Synod should study this subject   
   carefully and should see what can be put down in writing in order to reach a   
   solution for the situation existing in the Middle East".   
      
   ARCHBISHOP DENYS ANTOINE CHAHDA OF ALEP, BEROEA, HALAB OF THE SYRIANS,   
   SYRIA. "Christ asks all the baptised to be united, just as He and His Father   
   are One. ... He wanted their unity to be a sign for the nations and 'Signum   
   inter Gentes', a light attracting mankind to His Father and inviting them to   
   believe in Him. Indeed, the division in the Church is an act of   
   unfaithfulness to her founder and a scandal for those who do not believe in   
   Jesus. I feel that what separates us from our Orthodox brothers is the   
   understanding of the Primacy of Peter. It is up to the theologians to find a   
   new interpretation. Why not achieve unity in faith, but in diversity? The   
   Synod of Jerusalem in the year 49 could be the key to finding a solution to   
   the division of the Churches".   
   SE/                                                                     VIS   
   20101018 (1250)   
      
   TENTH GENERAL CONGREGATION   
      
   VATICAN CITY, 16 OCT 2010 (VIS) - The Tenth General Congregation of the   
   Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops was held this   
   morning in the Vatican's Synod Hall. During the session, the draft of the   
   final message was presented and discussed, and a first round of voting took   
   place for members of the Special Council for the Middle East of the General   
   Secretariat of the Synod. The president delegate on duty was His Beatitude   
   Ignace Youssif III Younan, Patriarch of Antioch of the Syrians, Lebanon.   
   SE/                                                                     VIS   
   20101018 (100)   
      
   ELEVENTH GENERAL CONGREGATION   
      
   VATICAN CITY, 18 OCT 2010 (VIS) - The Eleventh General Congregation of the   
   Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops was held this   
   morning in the Synod Hall in the presence of the Holy Father. The sitting   
   was dedicated to the presentation of the "Relatio post disceptationem"   
   (report after the discussion), and the president delegate on duty was   
   Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental   
   Churches.   
      
     The "Relatio post disceptationem" was delivered by His Beatitude Antonios   
   Naguib, Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts, Egypt. Extracts from the   
   document are given below:   
      
   THE SITUATION OF CHRISTIANS IN THE MIDDLE EAST   
      
     "The proclamation of the Gospel and the proclamation of Christ to all   
   peoples is the supreme duty of our Churches and all Churches. Our Churches   
   need to reawaken our missionary zeal and to renew in us the meaning,   
   significance, ardour, enthusiasm and dynamism of our being missionary. ...   
   Missionary formation is necessary for our faithful, especially those in   
   leadership positions in the life of the Church".   
      
     "Religion must not be politicised nor the State take precedence over   
   religion. ... Modern media (texts, website, internet, television, radio)   
   have an important place in this field. They provide a powerful and valuable   
   means for spreading the Christian message, for meeting the challenges it   
   faces, and for communicating with the faithful of the diaspora. People in   
   key positions need formation to achieve these ends. Eastern Christians must   
   commit themselves to working for the common good, in all its aspects, as   
   they have always done".   
      
     "The socio-political situations in our countries have a direct impact on   
   Christians, who feel their negative consequences more strongly. While   
   condemning the violence whatever its origin and calling for a just and   
   lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, we express our   
   solidarity with the Palestinian people, whose current situation encourages   
   fundamentalism. We also call upon the political world to pay sufficient   
   attention to the tragic situation of Christians in Iraq who are the main   
   victims of the war and its effects".   
      
     "Religious freedom is an essential component of human rights. The lack of   
   religious freedom is most often associated with deprivation of fundamental   
   rights. Freedom of worship is an aspect of religious freedom. In most of our   
   countries freedom of worship is guaranteed by the constitution. But even   
   then, in some countries, certain acts or practices limit its application.   
   ... Religious freedom is not a relativism that treats all faiths equally.   
   Rather it is the result of the duty of every person to adhere to the truth   
   by a firm choice of conscience, while respecting the dignity of each person.   
   ... Religious freedom also includes the right to confess one's faith, which   
   is a right and duty for every religion".   
      
     "One of the major challenges threatening the presence of Christians in   
   some countries in the Middle East is emigration. ... The main causes of this   
   troubling phenomenon are economic and political situations, the rise of   
   fundamentalism, and the restriction of freedoms and equality, strongly   
   exacerbated by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the war in Iraq. ...   
   Emigration is a natural right which falls to the free choice of individuals   
   and families, especially those living in harsh conditions. But the Church   
   has the duty to encourage her faithful to remain as witnesses, apostles and   
   builders of peace and wellbeing in their countries".   
      
     "The danger threatening Christians in the Middle East comes not only from   
   their minority status, or external threats, but above all from their being   
   distanced from the truth of the Gospel, from their faith and their mission.   
   This divided life is more dangerous to Christianity than any other threat.   
   The true tragedy of man is not when he suffers because of his mission, but   
   when he no longer has a mission and thereby loses the meaning and purpose of   
   his life".   
      
   ECCLESIAL COMMUNION   
      
     "We need a better appreciation, understanding and experience of the unity   
   of the Church. It is essential that we teach the Church as a 'communion' in   
   catechesis, homilies, and in the formation of clergy, religious and laity.   
   Communion must first be affective before becoming effective. It is important   
   for us to cultivate a deep sense of spiritual communion, of belonging to one   
   and the same Church".   
      
     "'Communion' among Churches is the first goal and first task of this   
   Synod. ... Pastors must help the faithful to know, appreciate, love and live   
   the beautiful variety of the Church in unity. ... Inter-ecclesial relations   
   must be encouraged, not only among the 'sui iuris' Churches in the Middle   
   East, but also with the Eastern Churches and with the Latin Church in the   
   diaspora, in close unity with the Holy Father, the Holy See and pontifical   
   representatives".   
      
     "It is of vital importance to appreciate the role of lay men and women and   
   their participation in the life and mission of the Church. In order for this   
   Synod to become, for them and for the entire Church, a true spiritual,   
   pastoral and social springtime, we need to reinforce the commitment of the   
   laity to the joint pastoral work of the Church. Women, both consecrated and   
   lay, need to find their proper place and mission in this field".   
      
     "Mission and ecumenism are closely linked. The Catholic and Orthodox   
   Churches have much in common. ... A sincere effort is necessary to overcome   
   prejudices, to better understand one another, and to aim for the fullness of   
   communion in the faith, the Sacraments and hierarchical service. This Synod   
   should help towards further communion and unity with our sister Orthodox   
   Churches and the ecclesial communities".   
      
     "It has been pointed out that ecumenism is going through a crisis today.   
   ... It is vital to make ecumenism a primary goal in episcopal meetings and   
   conferences. The creation of an ecumenical commission in the Council of   
   Eastern Catholic Patriarchs has been proposed. The media should be used to   
   reinforce and vivify ecumenism".   
      
   CHRISTIAN WITNESS. WITNESSES OF RESURRECTION AND LOVE   
      
   "We must encourage all the faithful, but especially priests, religious,   
   consecrated persons and those responsible for pastoral activity and the   
   apostolate to follow the Church's teachings and to study the documents of   
   the Magisterium".   
      
     "Special attention must be given to the family, which risks being torn   
   apart and undermined by Western relativism and the predominantly   
   non-Christian outlook in our region. Families of mixed religions must be the   
   subject of special pastoral care. The catechetical manuals must make up for   
   shortcomings and correct errors which are to be found elsewhere".   
      
     "It was suggested that a commission be formed for the vitalisation and   
   co-ordination of the communications media in the Middle East. ... The media   
   and communication are a powerful means to consolidate communion".   
      
     "In our Eastern Churches, the divine liturgy is the centre of religious   
   life. It has an important role in safeguarding Christian identity, in   
   strengthening membership of the Church and in animating the life of faith.   
   We must preserve and cultivate the sense of the sacred, of symbols and of   
   popular religiosity, which needs to be purified and deepened".   
      
     "The Israeli-Palestinian conflict affects relations between Christians and   
   Jews. The Holy See has clearly and repeatedly expressed its position,   
   appealing for both peoples to be able to live in peace, each in its own   
   homeland, with secure and internationally recognised borders. ... Our   
   Churches reject anti-Semitism and anti-Judaism".   
      
     "For a fruitful dialogue, Christians and Muslims must know one another   
   better. ... Numerous initiatives prove that it is possible to come together   
   and work on the basis of shared values (peace, solidarity, non-violence).   
   ... The Eastern Churches are the most qualified to promote inter-religious   
   dialogue with Islam. This duty is theirs because of their history, their   
   presence and their mission. ... It is necessary to avoid any provocative,   
   offensive, humiliating action and any anti-Islamic attitude. To be   
   authentic, dialogue must take place in truth".   
      
     "The West tends to be identified with Christianity and the choices of   
   States are often attributed to the Church. In reality, however, the   
   governments of the West are secular and increasingly opposed to the   
   Christian faith. It is important to explain this reality as well as the   
   positive significance of the secular State, which distinguishes politics   
   from religion. Within this context Christians have an obligation and a   
   mission to live out Gospel values. ... It is by our lives that we must   
   testify constantly, without syncretism or relativism, but with humility,   
   respect, sincerity, and love".   
      
   CONCLUSION   
      
     "What does the future hold for Christians in the Middle East? 'Do not be   
   afraid, O little flock!'".   
      
     "Together we must work to prepare a new dawn for the Middle East. We are   
   strengthened by the prayers, understanding and love of our brothers and   
   sisters around the world. We are not alone. This Synod has made that very   
   clear".   
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   20101018 (1460)   
      
   HOLY FATHER MEETS WITH POLISH PRESIDENT   
      
   VATICAN CITY, 16 OCT 2010 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the   
   following communique at midday today:   
      
     "This morning the Holy Father Benedict XVI received in audience Bronislaw   
   Komorowski, president of the Republic of Poland. The President subsequently   
   went on to meet with Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. who   
   was accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations   
   with States.   
      
     "The cordial discussions began by recalling the felicitous coincidence of   
   the president's visit with the thirty-second anniversary of the election to   
   the papacy of Servant of God Pope John Paul II. Attention then turned to the   
   importance of dialogue between Church and State, each according to its own   
   competencies, for the promotion of the common good. The parties expressed   
   their mutual desire to continue effective co-operation in areas of joint   
   interest - for example, in education and in promoting the fundamental values   
   of society - and emphasis was given to the importance of defending human   
   life in all its stages. The meeting closed with an exchange of opinions on   
   the current situation in Europe".   
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   20101018 (190)   
      
   CONCERT BY ENOCH ZU GUTTENBERG IN HONOUR OF THE POPE   
      
   VATICAN CITY, 16 OCT 2010 (VIS) - This evening in the Vatican's Paul VI   
   Hall, Benedict XVI and the Synod Fathers attended a concert given in the   
   Pope's honour by the composer Enoch zu Guttenberg. He conducted the Klang   
   Verwaltung orchestra and the Neubeuern choir in Giuseppe Verdi's Requiem   
   Mass.   
      
     At the end of the concert the Holy Father arose to address some remarks to   
   those present.   
      
     "Giuseppe Verdi", he said, "spent his life scrutinising the heart of man,   
   and in his works he highlighted the drama of the human condition. ... His   
   theatre is full of unhappy souls, of the persecuted, of victims. This tragic   
   vision of human destiny is echoed in many parts of his Requiem Mass, where   
   we touch the inescapable reality of death and the fundamental question of   
   the transcendent world".   
      
     Verdi, "who in a famous letter to the publisher Ricordi, defined himself   
   as being 'a bit atheist', wrote this Mass which seems to like a great appeal   
   to the Eternal Father, an attempt to overcome the cry of desperation in the   
   face of death, to rediscover the breath of life which becomes the silent and   
   heartfelt prayer: 'Libera me, Domine'".   
      
     "This 'musical cathedral'", the Pope concluded, "thus appears as a   
   description of the spiritual drama of man before Almighty God, of man who   
   cannot escape the eternal question concerning his own existence".   
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   20101018 (240)   
      
   BENEDICT XVI CANONISES SIX BLESSEDS   
      
   VATICAN CITY, 17 OCT 2010 (VIS) - At 10 a.m. today Benedict XVI celebrated   
   the Eucharist in the atrium of the Vatican Basilica, and canonised the   
   following six blesseds: Stanislao Soltys, called Kazimierczyk, Polish   
   professed religious of the Order of Canons Regular Lateranense (1433-1489);   
   Andre Bessette (ne Alfred), Canadian professed religious of the Congregation   
   of the Holy Cross (1845-1937); Candida Maria de Jesus Cipitria y Barriola   
   (nee Juana Josefa), Spanish founder of the Congregation of the Daughters of   
   Jesus (1845-1912); Mary of the Cross MacKillop (nee Mary Helen), Australian   
   founder of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart (1842-1909); Giulia   
   Salzano, Italian founder of the Congregation of Sisters Catechists of the   
   Sacred Heart (1846-1929), and Battista da Varano (nee Camilla), professed   
   nun of the Order of Poor Clares (1458-1524).   
      
     At the beginning of his homily the Pope explained how "this Sunday's   
   liturgy offers us a fundamental teaching: the importance of ceaseless   
   prayer. Sometimes we get tired of praying, we have the impression that   
   prayer is not very useful in life, that it is not terribly effective. So we   
   are tempted to dedicate ourselves to activity, to using human means to   
   achieve our aims, without turning to God. However, Jesus affirms that we   
   must always pray".   
      
     "Faith is essential as the basis for prayerful behaviour", said the Holy   
   Father, noting that "this was the approach of the six new saints who today   
   are being proposed for veneration by the Universal Church".   
      
     On the subject of the Polish Stanislao Kazimierczyk, recalled how "his   
   entire life was tied to the Eucharist", particularly "through his ardent   
   love for Christ present in the species of bread and wine" and "through love   
   for others, of which Communion is the source and the sign".   
      
     Andre Bessette from the Canadian city of Quebec was "doorman at the Notre   
   Dame College in Montreal, where he showed boundless charity and did   
   everything possible to soothe the despair of those who confided in him",   
   said the Pope. "He was witness to many healings and conversions. ... For   
   him, everything spoke of God and His presence. May we, following his   
   example, search for God with simplicity to discover Him always present at   
   the centre of our lives".   
      
     On the subject of the Spanish Candida Maria de Jesus Cipitria y Barriola,   
   Benedict XVI highlighted how "she lived for God and for what He most loves:   
   to reach all people and bring them the hope that does not waver, especially   
   those who need Him most. ... Though possessing few resources, she managed to   
   inspire other sisters to follow Jesus and dedicate themselves to teaching   
   and to the promotion of women. This is how the Congregation of the Daughters   
   of Jesus was founded, which today sees in its founder a model of sublime   
   life to be imitated, and a mission to be continued in the many countries   
   already reached by the spirit and apostolic zeal of Mother Candida".   
      
     Mother Mary MackKillop, the first Australian saint, "dedicated herself as   
   a young woman to the education of the poor in the difficult and demanding   
   terrain of rural Australia. ... She attended to the needs of each young   
   person entrusted to her, without regard for social position or wealth,   
   providing both intellectual and spiritual formation. Despite many   
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    - Origin: VIS - Ufficio Stampa della Santa Sede (1:396/3)    
      
   --- timEd/2 1.10.y2k+   
    * Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS-Meridian, MS-bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)