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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - N° 34
DATE 20-02-2014
Summary:
- EXTRAORDINARY CONSISTORY ON THE FAMILY BEGINS
- POPE FRANCIS TO THE PONTIFICAL ACADEMY FOR LIFE: WHAT IS A MAN WORTH?
- CONSISTORY: THE BEAUTY OF THE FAMILY AND ITS PROBLEMS, FACED WITH REALISM
AND IN DEPTH
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
___________________________________________________________
EXTRAORDINARY CONSISTORY ON THE FAMILY BEGINS
Vatican City, 20 February 2014 (VIS) – “It is the first time that
the entire College of Cardinals gathers around you, pleased to accept your
invitation to participate in an extraordinary consistory”, said Cardinal
Angelo Sodano, dean
of the College of Cardinals to Pope Francis, in this morning's opening address
for the extraordinary consistory on the family, held in the New Synod Hall.
The consistory will conclude tomorrow afternoon.
Cardinal Sodano, mentioning those cardinals who were unable to travel to Rome
for reasons of advanced age or health, affirmed that they all “assured
their spiritual closeness and we feel they are present all the same …
and send them a
brotherly greeting from this Hall”.
To face a pastoral challenge as important as that of the family, both in this
consistory and later in the next Synod, “the Pastors of the
Church”, he continued, wish to assure the Pope
that there will be no scarcity of that help that Pope Paul VI said he expected
from the bishops following Vatican Council II, in the hope that he would never
lack “the consolation of their presence, the help of their wisdom and
experience, the
support of their counsel, and the voice of their authority".
“Holy Father”, he concluded, “you will certainly not lack
the support of the Cardinal Fathers, who wish to face with a vision of faith
and hope this complex period in human history”.
Pope Francis then greeted those presence and gave thanks with them to the Lord
“who grants us these days of encounter and work together. We especially
welcome those brothers who on Saturday will be created cardinals, and
accompany them with prayer
and fraternal affection. I give thanks to Cardinal Sodano for his words”.
“In these days we will reflect, in particular, on the family, which is
the fundamental cell of human society. Since the beginning the Creator gave
His blessing to man and woman in order that they be fecund and multiply on
earth; and thus is the
family represented on earth as the reflection of the Triune God”.
“In our reflection we will always keep in mind the beauty of the family
and of marriage, athe greatness of this facet of human life, so simple and at
the same time so rich, made up of joys and hopes, strife and suffering, like
all of life. We will
seek to deepen the theology of the family and the pastoral ministry that we
must undertake in these current conditions. We will do so in depth and without
falling into trap of “case studies”, as this would inevitably lead
to a lowering of
the level of our work. The family nowadays is regarded with disdain and
maltreated, and what we ask for is recognition of how beautiful, true and good
it is to form a family, to be a family today; how indispensable this is for
the life of the world, for
the future of humanity. We are asked to make evident God's luminous plan on
the family and to help married couples experience this with joy in their
existence, accompanying them in many difficulties, with a pastoral ministry
that i
s
intelligent, courageous and full of love”.
Following his greetings, the Holy Father invited Cardinal Walter Kasper,
president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, to
read the introductory presentation for the consistory.
___________________________________________________________
POPE FRANCIS TO THE PONTIFICAL ACADEMY FOR LIFE: WHAT IS A MAN WORTH?
Vatican City, 20 February 2014 (VIS) – The Holy Father has sent a
message to the participants in the General Assembly of the Pontifical Academy
for Life, on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of its institution. The
Academy, whose aim is to
study, inform and educate on the main problems of biomedicine and law,
relating to the promotion and defence of life, especially with regard to
Christian morality and the Magisterium of the Church, dedicated its assembly
to the theme of “ageing
and disability”.
The Pope commented in his message that it was a very current theme, dear to
the Church. “In our society there is a tyrannical dominance of an
economic logic that excludes and at times kills, and of which nowadays we find
many victims, starting
with the elderly”. He affirmed that we see the existence of a
“throwaway” culture, in which those who are excluded are not only
exploited but also rejected and cast aside.
In the face of this discrimination, Pope Francis considered the
nthropological question of the value of man and of what may be the basis of
this value. “Health is without doubt an important value, but it does not
determine the value of a person.
Furthermore, health is not by itself a guarantee of happiness, which may
indeed by experienced even by those in a precarious state of health”.
Therefore, he added, “poor health and disability are never a good reason
to exclude or, worse,
eliminate a person; and the most serious deprivation that the elderly suffer
is not the weakening of the body or the consequent disability, but rather
abandonment, exclusion, and a lack of love”.
“The teacher of welcome and solidarity is, instead, the family: it is in
the bosom of the family that education draws in a substantial fashion upon
relationships of solidarity; in the family it is possible to learn that the
loss of health is not a
reason to discriminate against certain human lives; the family teaches us not
to fall prey to individualism and to balance 'I' with 'we'. It is there that
'taking care' of one another becomes the foundation of human existence and a
moral attitude to
promote, through the values of commitment and solidarity”.
The Pope emphasised the importance of listening to the young and the old
whenever we wish to understand the signs of the times, and commented that
“a society is truly welcoming to life when it recognises its value also
in old age, in disability,
in serious illness, and even when it at its close; when it teaches that the
call to human realisation does not exclude suffering but instead teaches to
see in the sick and suffering a gift to the entire community, a presence that
calls for solidarity
and responsibility”. Pope Francis concluded by blessing the work the
Academy performs, which he described as the diffusion of the “Gospel of
Life” - a task that is “often tiresome as it means going against
the grain, but always
precious”.
___________________________________________________________
CONSISTORY: THE BEAUTY OF THE FAMILY AND ITS PROBLEMS, FACED WITH REALISM AND
IN DEPTH
Vatican City, 20 February 2014 (VIS) – The director of the Holy See
Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., gave a briefing for journalists at
midday today on the progress of the extraordinary consistory for the family
which opened this morning
in the New Synod Hall and in which around 150 cardinals participated.
“After the Pope's address, the cardinals sent an affectionate greeting
to Archbishop Loris Capovilla, one of the new cardinals to be created by the
Holy Father in next Saturday's consistory, who for reasons of age and health
was not able to travel
to Rome, but who is present in the spirit of this encounter”, he
explained.
The introductory presentation by Cardinal Kasper, which will not be published
as it was intended for use within the context of the meeting by participants
only – occupied almost the entire morning, with the exception of the
last ten minutes in
which a few comments were made. However, this afternoon and tomorrow morning
will be dedicated to comment and discussion.
The text of the president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Promoting
Christian Unity is “in harmony” with the words spoken today by
Pope Francis. The focus was very coherent with that of the Holy Father:
facing, with realism and in
depth, all that is beautiful about the family without eluding its problems.
However, the issue is approached from an extremely positive point of view:
rediscovering and proclaiming the Gospel of the family according to God's
plan, with all its beauty,
as truth also convinces through beauty. Another central point of Kasper's
address was the concept of the family as a small domestic church, and the idea
according to which in the family the Church encounters reality and thus
constitutes a path towards
the future; the family can be a privileged route to evangelisation. Cardinal
Kasper spoke about this “domestic church” in a broad sense,
referring not only to the nuclear family, but also by extension to
communities, parish
groups
etc.
From a formal point of view, Fr. Lombardi mentioned that Cardinal Kasper's
document does not claim to address all themes related to the family, nor does
it attempt to anticipate the next Synod, but is rather a form of
“opening”. Its
introduction was dedicated to the rediscovery of the Gospel of the family,
originating from the family in the order of creation, the vision of the family
in Genesis and in God's plan. The second part focused on the structures of sin
within the family:
problems, tensions between men and women, body and spirit, the alienation of
the suffering of women and mothers, etc. Finally, it explored the issue of the
family in the Christian order of redemption, referring to texts from the
Gospel and the New
Testament relating to the family, such as the Letter to the Ephesians. It also
considered marriage as a Sacrament, and its sanctifying grace.
The cardinal also referred to the question of remarried divorcees, considering
the theme in depth and in a structured, nuanced fashion. He reiterated that in
this area it is necessary to bring together pastoral care with the inseparable
duo of faith and
the words of Jesus, and an understanding of divine mercy. The cardinal
referred to Pope emeritus Benedict XVI's work on this issue, when he asked if,
beyond rigour and laxity, the Sacrament of penance could perhaps offer the
path to accommodating
difficult situations. He also recalled Pope Francis' address to the prelates
of the Roman Rota at the beginning of this year, in which he spoke about the
validity of marriage, when he affirmed that the legal and pastoral dimensions
are not in opposition.
Fr. Lombardi concluded by emphasising that the Cardinal accorded great
importance to the “law of gradualness”, or rather the advancement
towards new forms in exploring in depth the mystery of redemption in Christ,
and in understanding the
Gospel law of truth.
___________________________________________________________
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 20 February 2014 (VIS) – The Holy Father has:
- appointed Fr. Damiano Giulio Guzzetti, M.C.C.J., as bishop of Moroto (area
14,857, population 470,000, Catholics 229,368, priests 35, religious 109),
Uganda. The bishop-elect was born in Turate, Italy in 1959, gave his solemn
vows in 1989, and was
ordained a priest in 1989. He has served in a number of pastoral roles,
including parish vicar in “Namalu” and “Naoi”, and
priest of the parish of “Matanynella”, in the diocese of Moroto;
member of the provincial
council of the Congregation of Comboni Missionaries in Uganda, formator of
postulants in his Congregation in Uganda, and bursar and lecturer at the Queen
of Apostle Philosophy Centre in Jinja, Uganda. He succeeds Bishop Henry
Apaloryamam Ssentongo,
whose resignation, upon having reached the age limit, was accepted by the Holy
Father.
- appointed Msgr. Olivier Leborgne as bishop of Amiens (area 6,277, population
586,200, Catholics 503,200, priests 88, permanent deacons 16, religious 197),
France. The bishop-elect was born in Nantes, France in 1963 and was ordained a
priest in 1991.
He has served in a number of pastoral roles, including parish vicar in
Elancourt-Maurepas, priest of the parish “St. Bernadette” in
Versailles, and episcopal vicar for formation. Since 2004 he has held the role
of vicar general of the
diocese of Versailles.
- appointed Msgr. Carl Allan Kemme as bishop of Wichita (area 51,955,
population 994,000, Catholics 126,800, priests 123, permanent deacons 4,
religious 259), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in Effingham, Illinois in
1960 and was ordained a priest in
1986. He has served in a number of pastoral roles, including priest of the
parish of “St. Mary” in Brussels, “St. Joseph” in
Meppen and the “Holy Family Parish” in Decatur, parish
administrator of “Our Lady of
the Holy Spirit” in Mt. Zion, vicar forane in the Decatur deanery,
priest-moderator of the “St. James Parish” in Decatur, priest in
the “St. Peter Parish” in Petersburg and the “St. John
Vianney Parish” in
Sherman, and diocesan administrator. He has served as vicar general and
moderator of the Curia since 2010. In 2002 he was named Prelate of Honour of
His Holiness.
- appointed Msgr. Peter Baldacchino as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Miami
(area 12,836, population 4,369,000, Catholics 874,000, priests 379, permanent
deacons 161, religious 399), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in Sliema, Malta
in 1960 and and was
ordained a priest in 1996. He holds a Master of Divinity from Seton Hall
University, South Orange, U.S.A., and has served in the following pastoral
roles: vicar of the parish of “Our Lady of Mount Carmel” in
Ridgewood, chancellor of the
“Missio sui iuris” of Turks and Caicos, and priest of the parish
of “Our Lady of Divine Providence” on the island of
rovidenciales. In 2002 he was named Chaplain of His Holiness.
- appointed Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, president of the Pontifical Council for
the Laity, as special envoy to the celebration of the 650th anniversary of the
consecration of the Cathedral of Krakow, to be held on 28 March 2014.
___________________________________________________________
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VISnews140220
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE YEAR XXII - N° 34DATE 20-02-2014
Summary: - EXTRAORDINARY CONSISTORY ON THE
FAMILY BEGINS - POPE
FRANCIS TO THE PONTIFICAL ACADEMY FOR LIFE: WHAT IS A MAN WORTH? -
CONSISTORY: THE BEAUTY OF THE FAMILY AND ITS PROBLEMS, FACED WITH REALISM AND
IN DEPTH - OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS ___________________________________________________________
EXTRAORDINARY CONSISTORY ON THE FAMILY BEGINS
Vatican City, 20 February 2014 (VIS) – “It is the first time
that the entire College of Cardinals gathers around you, pleased to accept
your invitation to participate in an extraordinary consistory”, said
Cardinal Angelo Sodano,
dean of the College of Cardinals to Pope Francis, in this morning's opening
address for the extraordinary consistory on the family, held in the New Synod
Hall. The consistory will conclude tomorrow afternoon.
Cardinal Sodano, mentioning those cardinals who were unable to travel to
Rome for reasons of advanced age or health, affirmed that they all
“assured their spiritual closeness and we feel they are present all the
same … and send them a
brotherly greeting from this Hall”.
To face a pastoral challenge as important as that of the family, both in
this consistory and later in the next Synod, “the Pastors of the
Church”, he continued, wish to assure the Pope
that there will be no scarcity of that help that Pope Paul VI said he
expected from the bishops following Vatican Council II, in the hope that he
would never lack “the consolation of their presence, the help of their
wisdom and experience, the
support of their counsel, and the voice of their authority".
“Holy Father”, he concluded, “you will certainly not lack
the support of the Cardinal Fathers, who wish to face with a vision of faith
and hope this complex period in human history”.
Pope Francis then greeted those presence and gave thanks with them to the
Lord “who grants us these days of encounter and work together. We
especially welcome those brothers who on Saturday will be created cardinals,
and accompany them with
prayer and fraternal affection. I give thanks to Cardinal Sodano for his
words”.
“In these days we will reflect, in particular, on the family, which
is the fundamental cell of human society. Since the beginning the Creator gave
His blessing to man and woman in order that they be fecund and multiply on
earth; and thus is the
family represented on earth as the reflection of the Triune God”.
“In our reflection we will always keep in mind the beauty of the
family and of marriage, athe greatness of this facet of human life, so simple
and at the same time so rich, made up of joys and hopes, strife and suffering,
like all of life. We
will seek to deepen the theology of the family and the pastoral ministry that
we must undertake in these current conditions. We will do so in depth and
without falling into trap of “case studies”, as this would
inevitably lead to a lowering
of the level of our work. The family nowadays is regarded with disdain and
maltreated, and what we ask for is recognition of how beautiful, true and good
it is to form a family, to be a family today; how indispensable this is for
the life of the world,
for the future of humanity. We are asked to make evident God's luminous plan
on the family and to help married couples experience this with joy in their
existence, accompanying them in many difficulties, with a pastoral
ministry that is intelligent, courageous and full of love”.
Following his greetings, the Holy Father invited Cardinal Walter Kasper,
president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, to
read the introductory presentation for the consistory.
POPE FRANCIS TO THE PONTIFICAL ACADEMY FOR LIFE: WHAT IS A MAN WORTH?
Vatican City, 20 February 2014 (VIS) – The Holy Father has sent a
message to the participants in the General Assembly of the Pontifical Academy
for Life, on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of its institution. The
Academy, whose aim is
to study, inform and educate on the main problems of biomedicine and law,
relating to the promotion and defence of life, especially with regard to
Christian morality and the Magisterium of the Church, dedicated its assembly
to the theme of “ageing
and disability”.
The Pope commented in his message that it was a very current theme, dear to
the Church. “In our society there is a tyrannical dominance of an
economic logic that excludes and at times kills, and of which nowadays we find
many victims, starting
with the elderly”. He affirmed that we see the existence of a
“throwaway” culture, in which those who are excluded are not only
exploited but also rejected and cast aside.
In the face of this discrimination, Pope Francis considered the
anthropological question of the value of man and of what may be the basis of
this value. “Health is without doubt an important value, but it does not
determine the value of a
person. Furthermore, health is not by itself a guarantee of happiness, which
may indeed by experienced even by those in a precarious state of
health”. Therefore, he added, “poor health and disability are
never a good reason to exclude or,
worse, eliminate a person; and the most serious deprivation that the elderly
suffer is not the weakening of the body or the consequent disability, but
rather abandonment, exclusion, and a lack of love”.
“The teacher of welcome and solidarity is, instead, the family: it is
in the bosom of the family that education draws in a substantial fashion upon
relationships of solidarity; in the family it is possible to learn that the
loss of health is
not a reason to discriminate against certain human lives; the family teaches
us not to fall prey to individualism and to balance 'I' with 'we'. It is there
that 'taking care' of one another becomes the foundation of human existence
and a moral attitude
to promote, through the values of commitment and solidarity”.
The Pope emphasised the importance of listening to the young and the old
whenever we wish to understand the signs of the times, and commented that
“a society is truly welcoming to life when it recognises its value also
in old age, in
disability, in serious illness, and even when it at its close; when it teaches
that the call to human realisation does not exclude suffering but instead
teaches to see in the sick and suffering a gift to the entire community, a
presence that calls for
solidarity and responsibility”. Pope Francis concluded by blessing the
work the Academy performs, which he described as the diffusion of the
“Gospel of Life” - a task that is “often tiresome as it
means going against the grain,
but always precious”.
CONSISTORY: THE BEAUTY OF THE FAMILY AND ITS PROBLEMS, FACED WITH REALISM
AND IN DEPTH
Vatican City, 20 February 2014 (VIS) – The director of the Holy See
Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., gave a briefing for journalists at
midday today on the progress of the extraordinary consistory for the family
which opened this
morning in the New Synod Hall and in which around 150 cardinals
articipated.
“After the Pope's address, the cardinals sent an affectionate
greeting to Archbishop Loris Capovilla, one of the new cardinals to be created
by the Holy Father in next Saturday's consistory, who for reasons of age and
health was not able to
travel to Rome, but who is present in the spirit of this encounter”, he
explained.
