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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - N° 30
DATE 14-02-2014
Summary:
- THE POPE MEETS TEN THOUSAND ENGAGED COUPLES IN ST. PETER'S SQUARE
- TO CZECH BISHOPS: SYNERGY BETWEEN THE CLERGY, RELIGIOUS AND LAY FAITHFUL
- AUDIENCES
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
___________________________________________________________
THE POPE MEETS TEN THOUSAND ENGAGED COUPLES IN ST. PETER'S SQUARE
Vatican City, 14 February 2014 (VIS) – Ten thousand engaged couples from
all over the world gathered today, on the feast of St. Valentine, in St.
Peter's Square to consider the vocation of marriage, with the theme “The
joy of 'Yes' for
ever”, and to meet with Pope Francis. The event, organised by the
Pontifical Council for the Family, takes as its starting point the idea that
one does not get married once all problems are solved, but rather that one
marries in order to face
problems together, and concludes that it is still possible to take the risk of
saying “for ever”, that it takes courage, but “for
ever” is a prospect that brings joy and allows us to look to the future
with hope.
The event began at 11 a.m. with a series of testimonies from couples,
interspersed with readings and songs dedicated to love in its various
manifestations, and at 12.30 p.m. the Holy Father entered the Square to greet
the couples and to comment on three
issues put forward by many couples: The fear of “for ever”, living
together, the matrimonial way of life; and the type of matrimonial celebration.
“It is important to ask ourselves if it is possible to love one another
'for ever'”, affirmed the Pope. “Today many people are afraid of
making definitive decisions, that affect them for all their lives, because it
seems impossible
… and this mentality leads many who are preparing for marriage to say,
'We will stay together for as long as our love lasts'. But what do we mean by
'love'? A mere emotion, a psycho-physical state? Certainly, if it is just
this, it cannot provide
the foundation for building something solid. But if instead love is a
relationship, then it is a growing reality, and we can also say, by way of
example, that it is built in the same way that we build a house. And we build
a house together, not alone!
… You would not wish to build it on the shifting sands of emotions, but
on the rock of true love, the love that comes from God. The family is born of
this project of love that wishes to grow, as one builds a house that becomes
the
locus of affection, help, hope and support. Just as God's love is stable and
lasts for ever, we want the love on which a family is based to be stable and
to last for ever. We must not allow ourselves to be conquered by a 'throwaway
culture'. This fear
of 'for ever' is cured by entrusting oneself day by day to the Lord Jesus in a
life that becomes a daily spiritual path of common growth, step by step.
Because 'for ever' is not simply a question of duration! A marriage does not
succeed just because it
lasts; its quality is also important. To stay together and to know how to love
each other for ever is the challenge Christian married couples face! …
In the Our Father prayer we say, 'Give us this day our daily bread'. Married
couples may also
learn to pray, 'Give us this day our daily love', teach us to love each other,
to care for each other. The more you entrust yourselves to the Lord, the more
your love will be 'for ever', able to renew itself and to overcome every
difficulty”.
In response to the second question, Francis emphasised that living together is
“an art, a patient, beautiful and fascinating journey … which can
be summarised in three words: please, thank you and sorry. 'Please' is a kind
request to be
able to enter into the life of someone else with respect and care. …
True love does not impose itself with hardness and aggression. … St.
Francis said that 'courtesy is the sister of charity, it extinguishes hatred
and kindles love'. And
today, in our families, in our world, often violent and arrogant, there is a
need for far more courtesy. 'Thank you': gratitude is an important sentiment.
Do we know how to say thank you? In your relationship, and in your future as
married couples, it
is important to keep alive your awareness that the other person is a gift from
God, and we should always give thanks for gifts from God. … It is not
merely a kind word to use with strangers, in order to be polite. It is
necessary
to
know how to say thank you, to journey ahead together”.
“'Sorry'. In our lives we make many errors, many mistakes. We all do.
… And this is why we need to be able to use this simple word, 'sorry'.
In general we are all ready to accuse other sand to justify ourselves. It is
an instinct that lies
at the origins of many disasters. Let us learn to recognise our mistakes and
to apologise. … Also in this way, the Christian family grows. We are
all aware that the perfect family does not exist, nor does the perfect
husband, nor the perfect
wife. We exist, and we are sinners. Jesus, who knows us well, teaches us a
secret: never let a day go by without asking forgiveness, or without restoring
peace to your home. … If we learn to apologise and to forgive each
other, the marriage will
last and will move on”.
Finally, the Holy Father commented that marriage should be a celebration, but
a Christian rather than a worldly one. He offered as an example Jesus' first
miracle at Cana, when he transformed water into wine when the latter appeared
to have run out,
thus saving the celebrations. “What happened at Cana two thousand years
ago, happens in reality at every wedding feast. It is the presence of the
Lord, who reveals Himself and the gift of His grace, that will render your
marriage full and
profoundly true. … At the same time, it is good for your wedding to be
sober and to emphasise that which is truly important. Some people are more
concerned with external signs, with the banquet, the dress... These are
important aspects of a
feast, but only if they are able to indicate the true reason for your joy: the
Lord's blessing upon your love. Ensure that, like the wine in Cana, the
external signs of your wedding feast reveal the presence of the Lord and
remind you, and all tho
se
presence, of the origin of and reason for your joy”.
___________________________________________________________
TO CZECH BISHOPS: SYNERGY BETWEEN THE CLERGY, RELIGIOUS AND LAY FAITHFUL
Vatican City, 14 February 2014 (VIS) – Today, on the feast of Sts. Cyril
and Methodius, Pope Francis received in audience the prelates of the Czech
Bishops' Conference at the end of their “ad limina” visit. In the
text of the address
he handed to them, he writes that to enable the faithful to know Jesus Christ
well, it is necessary “to increase appropriate pastoral initiatives
dedicated towards a solid preparation for the Sacraments and active
participation in the liturgy.
Commitment to religious education for a qualified presence in the world of
schools and culture is also necessary. On your part, there must be a vigilant
and courageous openness to new impulses from the Holy Spirit, Whose charisms
are widespread and
render the lay faithful available to assume responsibilities and ministries,
useful for the renewal and growth of the Church”.
The Pope goes on to state that, to face contemporary challenges and new
matters of pastoral urgency, there is a need for synergy between clergy,
religious and lay faithful. He also repeats that “while for a long
period the Church in your country
was oppressed by regimes based on ideologies contrary to human dignity and
freedom, today you must face other more insidious difficulties, such as
secularism and relativism. It is therefore necessary, alongside the tireless
proclamation of Gospel
values, to engage in constructive dialogue with all, even with those who are
far from any religious feeling”.
The Holy Father emphasises that the bishops must “persevere in prayer,
generous in serving your people, full of zeal in the proclamation of the Word.
It is your task to follow your priests with paternal affection: they are your
principal
collaborators, and their parochial mission requires stability to favour a
climate of truth and serenity in the people”. He urges them to
“promote the pastoral vocation in an increasingly organic and capillary
fashion, and in particular to
encourage the young in the search for meaning and in giving to God and to
their brothers. May you turn your attention also to the pastoral of the
family”, he added, “as the family is the cornerstone of social
life and only by working in
favour of families may we renew the fabric of the ecclesial community and of
civil society itself”.
The Pope mentions the importance of unity and solidarity between bishops, as
well as their communion with Peter's Successor. “This fraternal union is
equally indispensable for the effectiveness of the work of your Episcopal
Conference, and can
give you ever greater authority in your relations with the civil authorities
of the country, both in ordinary life and in facing the most delicate
problems”. In relation to economic matters, the Pope mentions that
“material goods are
destined exclusively to the spiritual mission of the Church, to ensure that
every ecclesial situation there are the necessary means and freedom for
pastoral activity. It is necessary to pay close attention to guarantee that
ecclesiastical assets are
administered with caution and transparency, so that they are protected and
preserved, also with the help of trusted and competent lay faithful”.
___________________________________________________________
AUDIENCES
Vatican City, 14 February 2014 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father received
in audience:
Fifteen prelates of the Czech Bishops' Conference on their “ad
limina” visit:
- Cardinal Dominik Duka, O.P., archbishop of Prague, with his auxiliaries,
Bishop Vaclav Maly and Bishop Karel Herbst, S.D.B., and Cardinal Miloslav Vlk,
archbishop emeritus;
- Archbishop Jan Graubner of Olomouc;
- Bishop Vojtech Cikrle of Brno, with his former auxiliary, Bishop Petr
Esterka;
- Bishop Frantisek Vaclav Lobkowicz, O. Praem., of Ostrava Opava;
- Bishop Jiri Padour, O.F.M. Cap., of Ceske Budejovice, with his auxiliary,
Bishop Pavel Posad;
- Bishop Jan Vokal of Hradec Kralove, with his auxiliary, Bishop Josef Kajnek;
- Bishop Jan Baxant of Litomerice;
- Bishop Frantisek Radkovsky of Plzen; and
- Bishop Ladislav Hucko, apostolic esarch for Catholics of Byzantine rite
resident in the Czech Republic.
- Moyses Louro de Azevedo Filho, founder and moderator general of the
“Comunidade Catolica Shalom”, Brazil.
___________________________________________________________
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 14 February 2014 (VIS) – The Holy Father has:
- appointed Rev. Alejandro Daniel Giorgi as auxiliary of the archdiocese of
Buenos Aires (area 203, population 2,917,000, Catholics 2,671,000, priests
791, permanent deacons 11, religious 1,871), Argentina. The bishop-elect was
born in Buenos Aires,
Argentina in 1959 and was ordained a priest in 1990. He studied medicine at
the National University of Buenos Aires and holds a licentiate in theology
from the Catholic University of Argentina. He has served in a number of
pastoral roles, including
vicar of the parish of “San Pedro Apostol”, in Villa Devoto, and
prefect and vice-rector of the “Inmaculada Concepcion”
metropolitan seminary. He is currently rector of the metropolitan seminary of
Buenos Aires.
- appointed Msgr. Gustavo Alejandro Montini as auxiliary of the diocese of San
Roque de Presidencia Roque Saenz Pena (area 71,303, population 519,032,
Catholics 456,120, priests 48, permanent deacons 4, religious 123), Argentina.
The bishop-elect was
born in Raquel, Argentina in 1970 and was ordained a priest in 1996. He holds
a licentiate in spiritual theology from the “Teresianum”
Pontifical Institute of Spirituality in Rome. He has served in a number of
pastoral roles, including vicar
in three parishes in the diocese of Rafaela, diocesan and national assessor
for youth pastoral, regional delegate for the National Commission for Youth
Pastoral, deputy president of diocesan Caritas, episcopal delegate for the
Order of Consecrated
Virgins, spiritual director of the seminary of Parana, chancellor, episcopal
vicar, moderator of the Curia and, since 2008, vicar general of the diocese of
Rafaela.
___________________________________________________________
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VISnews140214
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE YEAR XXII - N° 30DATE 14-02-2014
Summary: - THE POPE MEETS TEN THOUSAND
ENGAGED COUPLES IN ST. PETER'S
SQUARE - TO CZECH BISHOPS: SYNERGY BETWEEN THE CLERGY, RELIGIOUS AND LAY
FAITHFUL - AUDIENCES - OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS ___________________________________________________________
THE POPE MEETS TEN THOUSAND ENGAGED COUPLES IN ST. PETER'S SQUARE
Vatican City, 14 February 2014 (VIS) – Ten thousand engaged couples
from all over the world gathered today, on the feast of St. Valentine, in St.
Peter's Square to consider the vocation of marriage, with the theme “The
joy of 'Yes' for
ever”, and to meet with Pope Francis. The event, organised by the
Pontifical Council for the Family, takes as its starting point the idea that
one does not get married once all problems are solved, but rather that one
marries in order to face
problems together, and concludes that it is still possible to take the risk of
saying “for ever”, that it takes courage, but “for
ever” is a prospect that brings joy and allows us to look to the future
with hope.
The event began at 11 a.m. with a series of testimonies from couples,
interspersed with readings and songs dedicated to love in its various
manifestations, and at 12.30 p.m. the Holy Father entered the Square to greet
the couples and to comment on
three issues put forward by many couples: The fear of “for ever”,
living together, the matrimonial way of life; and the type of matrimonial
celebration.
“It is important to ask ourselves if it is possible to love one
another 'for ever'”, affirmed the Pope. “Today many people are
afraid of making definitive decisions, that affect them for all their lives,
because it seems impossible
… and this mentality leads many who are preparing for marriage to say,
'We will stay together for as long as our love lasts'. But what do we mean by
'love'? A mere emotion, a psycho-physical state? Certainly, if it is just
this, it cannot provide
the foundation for building something solid. But if instead love is a
relationship, then it is a growing reality, and we can also say, by way of
example, that it is built in the same way that we build a house. And we build
a house together, not alone!
… You would not wish to build it on the shifting sands of emotions, but
on the rock of true love, the love that comes from God. The family is born of
this project of love that wishes to grow, as
one builds a house that becomes the locus of affection, help, hope and
support. Just as God's love is stable and lasts for ever, we want the love on
which a family is based to be stable and to last for ever. We must not allow
ourselves to be conquered
by a 'throwaway culture'. This fear of 'for ever' is cured by entrusting
oneself day by day to the Lord Jesus in a life that becomes a daily spiritual
path of common growth, step by step. Because 'for ever' is not simply a
question of duration! A
marriage does not succeed just because it lasts; its quality is also
important. To stay together and to know how to love each other for ever is the
challenge Christian married couples face! … In the Our Father prayer we
say, 'Give us this day our
daily bread'. Married couples may also learn to pray, 'Give us this day our
daily love', teach us to love each other, to care for each other. The more you
entrust yourselves to the Lord,
the more your love will be 'for ever', able to renew itself and to overcome
every difficulty”.
In response to the second question, Francis emphasised that living together
is “an art, a patient, beautiful and fascinating journey … which
can be summarised in three words: please, thank you and sorry. 'Please' is a
kind request to be
able to enter into the life of someone else with respect and care. …
True love does not impose itself with hardness and aggression. … St.
Francis said that 'courtesy is the sister of charity, it extinguishes hatred
and kindles love'. And
today, in our families, in our world, often violent and arrogant, there is a
need for far more courtesy. 'Thank you': gratitude is an important sentiment.
Do we know how to say thank you? In your relationship, and in your future as
married couples, it
is important to keep alive your awareness that the other person is a gift from
God, and we should always give thanks for gifts from God. … It is not
merely a kind word to use with strangers, in
order to be polite. It is necessary to know how to say thank you, to journey
ahead together”.
“'Sorry'. In our lives we make many errors, many mistakes. We all do.
… And this is why we need to be able to use this simple word, 'sorry'.
In general we are all ready to accuse other sand to justify ourselves. It is
an instinct that
lies at the origins of many disasters. Let us learn to recognise our mistakes
and to apologise. … Also in this way, the Christian family grows. We
are all aware that the perfect family does not exist, nor does the perfect
husband, nor the perfect
wife. We exist, and we are sinners. Jesus, who knows us well, teaches us a
secret: never let a day go by without asking forgiveness, or without restoring
peace to your home. … If we learn to apologise and to forgive each
other, the marriage will
last and will move on”.
Finally, the Holy Father commented that marriage should be a celebration,
but a Christian rather than a worldly one. He offered as an example Jesus'
first miracle at Cana, when he transformed water into wine when the latter
appeared to have run out,
thus saving the celebrations. “What happened at Cana two thousand years
ago, happens in reality at every wedding feast. It is the presence of the
Lord, who reveals Himself and the gift of His grace, that will render your
marriage full and
profoundly true. … At the same time, it is good for your wedding to be
sober and to emphasise that which is truly important. Some people are more
concerned with external signs, with the banquet, the dress... These are
important aspects of a
feast, but only if they are able to indicate the true reason for your joy: the
Lord's blessing upon your love. Ensure that, like the wine in Cana, the
external signs of your wedding feast reveal the presence of the Lord and remind
you, and all those presence, of the origin of and reason for your
joy”.
TO CZECH BISHOPS: SYNERGY BETWEEN THE CLERGY, RELIGIOUS AND LAY FAITHFUL
Vatican City, 14 February 2014 (VIS) – Today, on the feast of Sts.
Cyril and Methodius, Pope Francis received in audience the prelates of the
Czech Bishops' Conference at the end of their “ad limina” visit.
In the text of the
address he handed to them, he writes that to enable the faithful to know Jesus
Christ well, it is necessary “to increase appropriate pastoral
initiatives dedicated towards a solid preparation for the Sacraments and
active participation in the
liturgy. Commitment to religious education for a qualified presence in the
world of schools and culture is also necessary. On your part, there must be a
vigilant and courageous openness to new impulses from the Holy Spirit, Whose
charisms are widespread
and render the lay faithful available to assume responsibilities and
ministries, useful for the renewal and growth of the Church”.
The Pope goes on to state that, to face contemporary challenges and new
matters of pastoral urgency, there is a need for synergy between clergy,
religious and lay faithful. He also repeats that “while for a long
period the Church in your
country was oppressed by regimes based on ideologies contrary to human dignity
and freedom, today you must face other more insidious difficulties, such as
secularism and relativism. It is therefore necessary, alongside the tireless
proclamation of
Gospel values, to engage in constructive dialogue with all, even with those
who are far from any religious feeling”.
The Holy Father emphasises that the bishops must “persevere in
prayer, generous in serving your people, full of zeal in the proclamation of
the Word. It is your task to follow your priests with paternal affection: they
are your principal
collaborators, and their parochial mission requires stability to favour a
climate of truth and serenity in the people”. He urges them to
“promote the pastoral vocation in an increasingly organic and capillary
fashion, and in particular to
encourage the young in the search for meaning and in giving to God and to
their brothers. May you turn your attention also to the pastoral of the
family”, he added, “as the family is the cornerstone of social
life and only by working in
favour of families may we renew the fabric of the ecclesial community and of
civil society itself”.
The Pope mentions the importance of unity and solidarity between bishops,
as well as their communion with Peter's Successor. “This fraternal union
is equally indispensable for the effectiveness of the work of your Episcopal
Conference, and can
give you ever greater authority in your relations with the civil authorities
of the country, both in ordinary life and in facing the most delicate
problems”. In relation to economic matters, the Pope mentions that
“material goods are
destined exclusively to the spiritual mission of the Church, to ensure that
every ecclesial situation there are the necessary means and freedom for
pastoral activity. It is necessary to pay close attention to guarantee that
ecclesiastical assets are
--- NetMgr/2 1.0y+
* Origin: țIntelecț Sursum Corda! BBS =Meridian, MS, USA= (1:396/45)
