VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE   
   YEAR XXII - # 194   
   DATE 05-11-2014   
      
   Summary:   
   - General audience: a Church separated from her bishop is an ailing Church   
   - The Holy Father: the annulment process must be kept separate from economic   
   interests   
   - New norms on resignations of diocesan bishops and officials of the Roman   
   Curia   
   - Exhibition of the Holy Shroud in Turin   
   - Other Pontifical Acts   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    General audience: a Church separated from her bishop is an ailing Church   
    Vatican City, 5 November 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father dedicated today's   
   catechesis to the hierarchical dimension of the Church. Christ edifies the   
   Church as His body through her ministries, and it is through the episcopal   
   ministry that the Lord is present in His Church, guiding and caring for her.   
    "In the presence and in the ministry of the bishops, the presbyters and the   
   deacons", he said, "we are able to recognise the true face of the Church. ...   
   And through these brothers, elected by the Lord and consecrated by the   
   sacrament of ordination, the Church exercises her maternity". Francis   
   emphasised that this office is not, however, an honour but rather a service to   
   be performed following Christ's example.   
    He also remarked that bishops must be united, as a family. "When Jesus chose   
   and called the Apostles, he imagined them not separated from each other, but   
   together, united with Him, like one family. The bishops too constitute a   
   single college, gathered around the Pope, who is the guardian and guarantor of   
   this profound communion". He added, "let us think of all those bishops around   
   the world who, while living in widely differing locations, cultures,   
   sensibilities and traditions ... feel close to one another and become an   
   expression of the intimate bond, in Christ, between their communities".   
    The Pope concluded by explaining that a healthy Church cannot exist if the   
   faithful, deacons and presbyters are not united with their bishop: "The Church   
   separated from her bishop is an ailing Church. This union of the faithful and   
   the bishop is willed by Jesus".   
      
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    The Holy Father: the annulment process must be kept separate from economic   
   interests   
    Vatican City, 5 November 2014 (VIS) - Before arriving in St. Peter's Square   
   for the usual Wednesday morning general audience, Pope Francis received in   
   audience the participants in the course on marriage organised by the Roman   
   Rota, in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall. The Pope commented that during the recent   
   Synod of Bishops, there had been discussions regarding the procedures for   
   annulment and the need to streamline them for reasons of justice. Francis also   
   spoke of the many people who wait for years for a judgement to be reached.   
   "Sometimes the procedures are very long and difficult, which does not help   
   matters, and people give up".   
    The Pontiff emphasised the importance of this type of course and the need to   
   be careful to ensure that the procedures do not become linked to economic   
   interests, referring to public scandals. He noted that during the Synod some   
   proposals had been made regarding the costs of the process. "When spiritual   
   interest is attached to economic interests, then it not a matter of God". He   
   concluded, "The Mother Church has enough generosity to be able to provide   
   justice freely, as we are freely justified by Jesus Christ. This point is   
   important - these two issues must be separate".   
      
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    New norms on resignations of diocesan bishops and officials of the Roman Curia   
    Vatican City, 5 November 2014 (VIS) - The Rescriptum modifying the   
   presentation and acceptance of resignation from pastoral ministry by diocesan   
   bishops and offices of the Roman Curia by pontifical appointment came into   
   effect today.   
    The text is as follows:   
    Art. 1: The current discipline in the Latin Church and in the "sui iuris"   
   Oriental Churches, by which diocesan and eparchal Bishops, and those held to   
   be of equivalent office in accordance with canons 381 para. 2 of the Code of   
   Canon Law and 313 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, as well as   
   coadjutor and auxiliary Bishops, are invited to present the resignation from   
   their pastoral office upon reaching the age of seventy-five years, is   
   confirmed.   
    Art. 2: Resignation from the aforementioned pastoral offices is effective   
   only from the moment in which it is accepted by the legitimate Authorities.   
    Art .3: With the acceptance of the resignation from the aforementioned   
   offices, the interested parties cease to hold any other office at national   
   level conferred for a period determined in concomitance with the   
   aforementioned pastoral office.   
    Art. 4: The gesture of a Bishop who, by motives of love or the wish to offer   
   a better service to the community, considers it necessary to resign from the   
   role of Pastor before reaching the age of seventy-five on account of illness   
   or other serious reasons, is to be deemed worthy of ecclesial appreciation. In   
   such cases, the faithful are requested to demonstrate solidarity and   
   understanding for their former Pastor, providing punctual assistance   
   consistent with the principles of charity and justice, in accordance with   
   canon 402 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.   
    Art. 5: In some particular circumstances, the competent Authorities may deem   
   it necessary to request that a Bishop present his resignation from pastoral   
   office, after informing him of the cause for this request, and listening   
   closely to his reasons, in fraternal dialogue.   
    Art. 6: Cardinals serving as Heads of the Dicasteries of the Roman Curia and   
   other Cardinals holding office by pontifical nomination are also required,   
   upon the competion of their seventy-fifth year of life, to present their   
   resignation from office to the Pope, who, after full consideration, will   
   proceed.   
      
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    Exhibition of the Holy Shroud in Turin   
    Vatican City, 5 November 2014 (VIS) - A press conference was held in the Holy   
   See Press Office this morning during which Archbishop Cesare Nosiglia of   
   Turin, Italy, presented the next exhibition of the Holy Shroud, to be held in   
   Turin from 19 April to 24 June, on the theme "The Greatest Love". He also   
   presented the initiatives for the celebration of the bicentenary of the birth   
   of St. John Bosco and remarked that Pope Francis intends to visit Turin during   
   this period.   
    Other speaks in the conference were Piero Fassino, mayor of Turin; Elide   
   Tisi, deputy mayor; and Marco Bonatti, Press Officer for the Exhibition   
   Committee.   
    This will be the third time the Shroud has been displayed to the public   
   during this millennium and the event will focus on two themes: the young, and   
   those who suffer. It is precisely for this reason that the Pope has allowed   
   the solemn exposition, which coincides with the Jubilee for the 200th   
   anniversary of the birth of St. John Bosco.   
    As on previous occasions, special attention will be paid to the sick who   
   visit the Holy Shroud. The pastoral ministry for healthcare in Turin will make   
   two reception centres available for pilgrims and carers. In addition, with the   
   collaboration of more than 3500 volunteers, moments of prayer will be held,   
   and a confessional service in different languages will be available in   
   locations in the area near the Cathedral.   
    The visit will be free of charge but booking is obligatory, to enable the   
   effective management of the flow of pilgrims. Booking is online, at   
   www.sindone.org.   
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Other Pontifical Acts   
    Vatican City, 5 November 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed:   
    - Bishop Milton Kenan Junior, auxiliary of the archdiocese of Sao Paulo,   
   Brazil, as bishop of Barretos (area 8,770, population 354,000, Catholics   
   284,000, priests 42, permanent deacons 1, religious 106), Brazil.   
    - Bishop Joao Jose da Costa, O. Carm., of Iguatu, Brazil, as coadjutor of the   
   archdiocese of Aracaju, Brazil.   
    - Rev. Pr. Corrado Maggioni, S.M.M., as under secretary of the Congregation   
   for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. Rev. Fr. Maggioni was   
   previously Office Head of the same congregation.   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
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   www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va   
      
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