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    THE PRIMACY OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND THE COURAGE TO SAY NO TO EVIL   
    Vatican City, 26 July 2014 (VIS) - More than two hundred thousand people   
   attended the Mass celebrated by the Holy Father in the square in front of the   
   Royal Palace of Caserta at 6 p.m. yesterday.   
    The Pope spoke in his homily about the "kingdom of Heaven", based on the   
   parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl. In the first, the "kingdom" is   
   similar the treasure hidden in a field, that the farmer finds and hides again,   
   full of joy, then sells everything he has to buy the field. In the second, a   
   merchant who seeks fine pearls encounters one of great value and sells   
   everything he owns in order to buy it.   
    The farmer and the merchant, explains the Pope, have the same sentiment in   
   common: the surprise and joy of the fulfilment of their desires and, through   
   these two parables, "with simple words that everyone can understand", Jesus   
   explains what the kingdom of heaven is, how it is found and what one can do to   
   obtain it.   
    Jesus does not concern Himself with describing the "kingdom", although He has   
   announced it since the beginning of His Gospel; however, He shows it   
   indirectly, through reflection. "He prefers to let it be understood through   
   parables and similarities, especially by revealing its effects: the kingdom of   
   Heaven is able to change the world, like the leaven concealed in the dough".   
   Both parables help us understand that the kingdom of God is present in the   
   person of Jesus Himself. He is the hidden treasure and the valuable pearl. The   
   joy of the farmer and the merchant are comprehensible - they have found what   
   they sought! It is the joy of each one of us when we discover the closeness   
   and the presence of Jesus in our life. His is a presence that transforms our   
   existence and opens us to the needs of our brethren; a presence that invites   
   us to welcome every other presence, even that of the foreigner or the   
   immigrant".   
    To encounter the kingdom of God, each one of us takes his or her own path.   
   For some, the encounter with Jesus is awaited, hoped for and long sought, as   
   we see in the parable of the merchant who travels the world seeking something   
   of value. For others it happens unexpectedly, almost by chance, as in the   
   parable of the farmer. This reminds us that God lets us meet Him anyway, as it   
   is He Who is the first to wish to meet us. ... He came in order to be 'God   
   with us'. ... It is He Who seeks us out, it is He Who lets Himself be found   
   even by those who are not looking for Him, at times in unusual places and at   
   unexpected moments. When we find Jesus we are fascinated, we are won over, and   
   it is a joy to leave behind our usual way of life, often arid and apathetic,   
   to embrace the Gospel, and to allow ourselves to be guided by the new logic of   
   love".   
    Jesus is very clear that when He refers to the possession of the "kingdom",   
   enthusiasm and the joy of discovery are not enough. "It is necessary to place   
   the precious pearl of the kingdom before all other earthly goods; it is   
   necessary to put God in first place in our life. According primacy to God   
   means having the courage to say no to evil, to violence, to oppression; to   
   live a life of service to others and in favour of legality and the common   
   good. ... One must be a friend of God, love one's brothers, and be committed   
   to the protection of their lives and health, also respecting the environment   
   and nature". Francis emphasised, "This is particularly important in this   
   beautiful land, which needs to be protected and preserved; it takes courage to   
   say no to every form of corruption and illegality - and we all know the name   
   of these forms of corruption and illegality. It requires that everyone is a   
   servant to the truth and assumes in every situation an evangelical lifestyle,   
   which is manifested in the gift of the self and care for the poor and   
   excluded".   
    The Pope went on to speak about the festivity of St. Ann, the patron saint of   
   Caserta, which brought together in the square several components of the   
   diocesan community, the bishop, the civil authorities and the representatives   
   of various social sectors. "I would like to encourage al of you to experience   
   the festivity of your patron saint free of preconceived ideas, as a pure   
   expression of the faith of a people who recognise themselves as the family of   
   God and strengthen the bonds of fraternity and solidarity. St. Ann perhaps   
   heard her daughter pronounce the words of the Magnificat: 'He has brought down   
   rulers from their thrones, but has lifted up the humble; He has filled the   
   hungry with good things'. May she help you to find the only treasure, Jesus,   
   and teach you to discover the criteria of God's action: He turns worldly   
   judgements on their head, coming to the aid of the poor and the least among   
   us, and brings abundance to the humble, who entrust their existence to Him.   
   Have hope, hope does not disappoint. And I like to repeat to you: do not let   
   yourselves be robbed of hope!"   
    Following the Mass and before the final blessing, Francis gave thanks to all   
   those present for their warm welcome, and to Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe,   
   archbishop of Naples, adding, "I have heard that the Neapolitans are a little   
   jealous of this visit, but I wish to assure them them that this year I will   
   certainly visit them too".   
    After the Eucharistic celebration, the Pope transferred to the military   
   airport and left for Rome by helicopter.   
      
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    COMMUNIQUE FROM THE FAMILY OF FR. PAOLO DELL'OGLIO, A YEAR AFTER HIS   
   DISAPPEARANCE IN SYRIA   
    Vatican City, 28 July 2014 (VIS) - The family of Fr. Paolo Dell'Oglio, the   
   Italian Jesuit priest of whom there has been no news for a year following his   
   disappearance in the Syrian city of Raqqa, today issued the following   
   communique:   
    "One year has already passed since we last knew of our son and brother Paolo,   
   priest, Jesuit, Italian, who disappeared in Syria on July 29th 2013.   
    This has also been a long time, too long, for a land ravaged by war and   
   infinite suffering like Syria.   
    We ask those responsible for the disappearance of a good man, a man of faith,   
   a man of peace, to have the dignity to let us know of his fate.   
    We would like to once again hold him in our arms, however we are also   
   prepared to mourn him.   
    Tomorrow, 29th of July, one year after his disappearance, many of us will be   
   praying for him and standing by him, as we will be doing for those who have   
   been kidnapped, unjustly detained and for the many who are suffering because   
   of this war."   
    The video message of their plea can be seen at:   
      
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3MMoCGrggE&feature=youtu.be   
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    CHALDEANS IN IRAQ: PREPARE, LIKE ABRAHAM, TO LEAVE FOR THE LAND GOD WILL SHOW   
   TO YOU   
    Vatican City, 28 July 2014 (VIS) - Yesterday, Sunday, Cardinal Leonardo   
   Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, presided at the   
   Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral of St. Paul the Apostle of the Chaldeans in   
   San Diego, U.S.A. He prayed for the Christians persecuted in Iraq, the   
   motherland of the Chaldean Church, and also included in his prayer those in   
   Syria, Palestine and Egypt, as well as those who belong to the Greek-Catholic   
   community in Ukraine, who are currently experiencing difficult situations.   
    The bishop of the eparchy, Sarhad Yawsip Hermiz Jammo, thanked the cardinal   
   for the consolation that his visit and his prayers, as the representative of   
   Pope Francis, offered to al the Christians of the East, and added that, in   
   communion with Peter's Successor, they would persist in the faith of Abraham   
   and, like the patriarch, they would prepare to leave for the land God will   
   show to them, learning to read history in a higher dimension.   
    In his homily, Cardinal Sandri thanked those present and those Christians who   
   suffer for their faith in the Gospel in situations of conflict, and assured   
   them of Pope Francis' prayers and blessing and the closeness of all the   
   Church. He expressed his hope for peace and justice for all those who have   
   been afflicted by incredible and senseless violence.   
    The prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, in his visit to   
   California, met with the Maronite and Syro-Malabar communities of Los Angeles   
   and San Diego. During the coming days he will visit the Armenians and greet   
   the priests of the Syrian, Coptic, Greek-Melkite and Romanian Greek-Catholic   
   Churches who exercise their pastoral ministry in this region of the United   
   States. The already populous Eastern is expected to increase significantly,   
   especially from Iraq, due to the current conflict. He underlined that   
   immigration is a pastoral challenge of historical proportions, and requires   
   great efforts on the part of the Latin Church in support of the Oriental   
   Churches.   
      
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    ON THE POPE'S POSSIBLE PARTICIPATION IN THE PHILADELPHIA MEETING OF FAMILIES   
    Vatican City, 26 July 2014 (VIS) - The director of the Holy See Press Office   
   has stated, with regard to Pope Francis' possible attendance at the World   
   Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, U.S.A. in September 2015, that the Holy   
   Father has received several invitations to travel to America and, as usual,   
   considers them carefully. "The Pope has made it known that he is willing to   
   participate in the meeting of families, but at the present moment he has not   
   initiated any concrete plan or programme for travel to the United States or   
   Mexico". He added, "It should be taken into account, however, that the   
   Philadelphia meeting will be held in over a year's time".   
      
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    OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS   
    Vatican City, 26 July 2014 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father:   
    - appointed Bishop Anthony Pappusamy of Dindigul, India as archbishop of   
   Madurai (area 6,266, population 2,068,000, Catholics 145,213, priests 59,   
   religious 275), India. He succeeds Archbishop Peter Fernando, whose   
   resignation upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.   
    - appointed Bishop Pierre Nguyen Van Kham, auxiliary of the archdiocese of Ho   
   Chi Minh City, Vietnam, as bishop of My Tho (area 9,262, population 5,280,320,   
   Catholics 126,560, priests 125, religious 282), Vietnam.   
    - appointed Cardinal Justin Francis Rigali, archbishop emeritus of   
   Philadelphia, U.S.A., as his special envoy to the solemn Eucharistic   
   celebration in the new Cathedral of St. Louis, U.S.A., to be held on 24   
   August, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the city.   
    - appointed Cardinal Angelo Scola, archbishop of Milan, Italy, as his special   
   envoy to the celebration of the 850th anniversary of the translation of the   
   relics of the Magi to Cologne, Germany, to be held on 28 September.   
      
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   www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va   
      
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