"The love of Christ, which has blessed and sanctified the union of husband   
   and wife, is able to sustain their love and to renew it when, humanly   
   speaking, it becomes lost, wounded or worn out. The love of Christ can restore   
   to spouses the joy of journeying together. This is what marriage is all about:   
   man and woman walking together, wherein the husband helps his wife to become   
   ever more a woman, and wherein the woman has the task of helping her husband   
   to become ever more a man. This is the task that you both share. 'I love you,   
   and for this love I help you to become ever more a woman'; 'I love you, and   
   for this love I help you to become ever more a man'. Here we see the   
   reciprocity of differences. The path is not always a smooth one, free of   
   disagreements, otherwise it would not be human. It is a demanding journey, at   
   times difficult, and at times turbulent, but such is life! Within this   
   theology which the word of God offers us concerning the people on a journey,   
   spouses on a journey, I would like to give you some advice. It is normal for   
   husband and wife to argue: it's normal. It always happens. But my advice is   
   this: never let the day end without having first made peace. Never! A small   
   gesture is sufficient. Thus the journey may continue. Marriage is a symbol of   
   life, real life: it is not 'fiction'! It is the Sacrament of the love of   
   Christ and the Church, a love which finds its proof and guarantee in the   
   Cross. My desire for you is that you have a good journey, a fruitful one,   
   growing in love. I wish you happiness. There will be crosses! But the Lord is   
   always there to help us move forward. May the Lord bless you!".   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Angelus: the Cross restores hope   
    Vatican City, 14 September 2014 (VIS) - At midday today, after celebrating   
   the marriage of twenty couples from the diocese of Rome, the Pope appeared at   
   the window of his study to pray the Angelus with the faithful present in St.   
   Peter's Square.   
    Pope Francis commented that today, 14 September, the Church celebrates the   
   festivity of the Exaltation of the Cross. "Any non-Christian might ask, why   
   'exalt' the Cross? We can answer that we do not exalt just any cross, or all   
   crosses: we exalt Jesus Cross, as it was upon the Cross that he revealed the   
   extent of God's love for humanity", he explained. "The Father gave his Son to   
   save us, and this involved the death of Jesus, and he died on the Cross. Why?   
   Why was the Cross necessary? Because of the gravity of the evil that had   
   enslaved us. The Cross of Jesus expresses both of these things: all the   
   negative force of evil, and all the gentle omnipotence of God's mercy. The   
   Cross appeared to decree Jesus' demise, but in reality it marked His victory.   
   ... And it is precisely for this reason that God 'exalted' Jesus, conferring   
   upon Him a universal kingship".   
    "When we turn our gaze to the Cross, where Jesus was nailed", he continued,   
   "we contemplate the sign of God's infinite love for each one of us, and the   
   root of our salvation. From this Cross there springs the mercy of the Father   
   who embraces the entire world. Through the Cross, the evil one is vanquished   
   and death defeated, we are given life, and hope is restored to us. ... The   
   Cross of Jesus is our only true hope! This is why the Chruch exalts the   
   glorious Cross of Jesus, sign of God's immense love, sign of our salvation,   
   and path to the Resurrection. And this is our hope".   
    "When we contemplate and celebrate the Holy Cross", he concluded, "we think   
   with emotion of our many brothers and sisters who are persecuted and killed   
   for their fidelity to Christ. This happens especially where religious freedom   
   is not guaranteed or fully realised. It also occurs, however, in countries and   
   in environments where in principle freedom and human rights are protected, but   
   where in practice believers and Christians in particular often encounter   
   limitations or discrimination. Therefore, today we remember them and pray   
   especially for them".   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Humanity still has not learnt that war is madness   
    Vatican City, 14 September 2014 (VIS) - Following today's Marian prayer, the   
   Holy Father mentioned that tomorrow the Security Council of the United Nations   
   begins peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic, to promote peace   
   and protect the civil population that is suffering the consequences of a   
   long-standing conflict.   
    "I assure the peacekeepers of the support and prayer of the Catholic Church,   
   and encourage the efforts of the international community to come to the aid of   
   Central Africans of good will. May the violence give way to dialogue as soon   
   as possible, and may the opposing forces set aside their particular interests   
   and make the necessary provisions to ensure that every citizen, of every   
   ethnic and religious group, may collaborate in constructing the common good.   
   May the Lord accompany this work for peace!", he exclaimed.   
    The Pope went on to speak about his visit on Saturday to the Austro-Hungarian   
   cemetery and the military monument of Redipuglia, Italy, where he prayed for   
   those who lost their lives in the First World War. "The figures are   
   frightening: around eight million fallen soldiers and around seven million   
   civilians killed. This shows us what madness war is! A madness from which   
   humanity still has not learnt its lesson: it was followed by another world war   
   soon after, and many others that are still in progress. When will we learn   
   this lesson? I invite everyone to look to the Crucified Jesus to understand   
   that hatred and evil must be met with forgiveness and goodness, to understand   
   that the solution of war leads only to more evil and death!"   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Cardinal Aguilar to take possession of his titular church   
    Vatican City, 2014 (VIS) - The Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the   
   Supreme Pontiff today announced that on Sunday, 21 September, at 11 a.m.,   
   Cardinal Fernando Sebastian Aguilar, archbishop emeritus of Pamplona y Tudela,   
   Spain, will take possession of the title of Sant'Angela Merici (Via di   
   Sant'Angela Merici, 57).   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Audiences   
    Vatican City, 2014 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in audience Daniel   
   Ruben Herrera Piedrabuena, federal judge of La Rioja, with his wife and   
   entourage.   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Other Pontifical Acts   
    Vatican City, 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Msgr. Marcus Stock   
   as bishop of Leeds (area 5,033, population 2,068,000, Catholics 157,766,   
   priests 182, permanent deacons 24, religious 149), England. The bishop-elect   
   was born in London, England in 1961 and was ordained a priest in 1988. He   
   studied theology at Oxford University and dogmatic theology at the Pontifical   
   Gregorian University. He has served in a number of pastoral roles, including   
   parish priest of "St. Birinus" in Dorchester-on-Thames, "St. Peter's" in   
   Bloxwich, and Coleshill, and director of Catholic schools for the archdiocese   
   of Birmingham. He is currently secretary general of the Episcopal Conference   
   of England and Wales and advisor to the Heythrop College Faculty of Theology,   
   London. In 2011 he was nominated Prelate of Honour of His Holiness.   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
   For more information and to search for documents refer to the site:   
   www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va   
      
   Copyright (VIS):  the news contained in the services of the Vatican   
   Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting   
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