"The prophet invites those who listen to him - including us, today - to   
   spread among the people this message of hope: that the Lord consoles us. And   
   to allow room for the Lord's consolation", he continued. "But we cannot be   
   messengers of God's consolation if we do not first experience the joy of being   
   consoled and loved by Him. This happens especially when we listen to the Word,   
   the Gospel, which we should carry with us in our pockets ... and when we   
   remain in silent prayer in His presence, when we encounter Him in the   
   Eucharist or in the sacrament of Reconciliation".   
    The Pope recalled those who are "oppressed by suffering, injustice and abuse;   
   those who are slaves to money, to power, to success and worldliness. "Theirs   
   are false consolations, they are not the true consolation of the Lord! We are   
   all called to console our brethren, showing that only God can eliminate the   
   causes of existential and spiritual crisis". The Pontiff went on to encourage   
   all those present to allow themselves to be consoled by the Lord, and he   
   concluded by entrusting to Mary the hopes for salvation and peace for all men   
   and women of our time.   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Decrees of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints   
    Vatican City, 7 December 2014 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon, 6 December, Pope   
   Francis received in private audience Cardinal Angelo Amato, S.D.B., prefect of   
   the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. During the audience, the Holy   
   Father authorised the promulgation of the following decrees regarding:   
    MIRACLES, attributable to the intercession of:   
    - Blessed Jeanne-Emilie de Villeneuve, France, foundress of the Sisters of   
   the Immaculate Conception of Castres (1811-1854);   
    - Blessed Marie-Alphonsine (nee Maryam Sultanah Danil Ghattas), Turco-British   
   Palestine, co-foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Rosary   
   of Jerusalem of the Latins (1843-1927);   
    - Blessed Mary of Jesus Crucified (nee Maryam Baouardy), Turkish Palestine,   
   professed nun of the Order of Discalced Carmelites (1846-1878);   
    HEROIC VIRTUES   
    - Servant of God Carmela of Jesus (nee Francesca Paola Prestigiacomo), Italy,   
   foundress of the Institute of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of the   
   Incarnate Word (1858- 1948);   
    - Servant of God Maria Seiquer Gaya, Spain, foundress of the Apostolic   
   Sisters of Christ Crucified (1891-1975);   
    - Servant of God Adalberta (nee Vojtecha) Hasmandova, Czech Republic,   
   superior general of the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy of St. Charles   
   Borromeo (1914-1988);   
    - Servant of God Praxedes Fernandez Garcia, Spain, laywoman and member of the   
   Third Order of St. Dominic (1886-1936);   
    - Servant of God Elisabetta Tasca, Italy, laywoman and mother (1899-1978).   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Director of the Holy See Press Office on the inquiry on two ex-executives of   
   the IOR   
    Vatican City, 7 December 2014 (VIS) - The director of the Holy See Press   
   Office has issued the following statement in response to questions from the   
   press:   
    "I can confirm that the Promoter of Justice of the Vatican City State   
   Tribunal has opened an investigation against two former executives of the IOR   
   for suspected embezzlement of funds in the context of real estate transactions   
   that took place during the period from 2001 to 2008. The investigation has   
   also been extended to a lawyer for involvement in the case.   
    The matter was presented to the Vatican City State judiciary by the IOR   
   authorities as a result of the internal audit carried out last year.   
    The accounts of those concerned in the IOR were frozen as a precautionary   
   measure a few weeks ago.   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Telegram for the death of Queen Fabiola of Belgium   
    Vatican City, 6 December 2014 (VIS) - The Pope has sent a telegram of   
   condolences to His Majesty the King Philippe of Belgium for the death of Queen   
   Fabiola yesterday, 5 December, at the age of 86.   
    In the text, Francis communicates to the monarch and all the Royal family,   
   along with the Government and the Belgian people, his sorrow at learning of   
   the death of the Queen, and expressed his deepest condolences. "I fervently   
   pray that the Lord may receive his faithful servant in His Kingdom of Light,   
   and that He may grant comfort and hope to all those affected by her   
   departure", he writes.   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Pope's video message for the Christians and people of Iraq   
    Vatican City, 9 December 2014 (VIS) - Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, archbishop   
   of Lyon, France, will transmit a video message from Pope Francis to the   
   Christians and the population as a whole in Iraq, to be screened this   
   afternoon in the city of Erbil. The twinning of the diocese with Mosul, which   
   began last summer, has given rise to several initiatives to support the Iraqi   
   population. The full text of the Pope's message is published below:   
    "I would like to greet each and every one of you, along with Cardinal   
   Philippe Barbarin, who once again brings you the concern and the love of the   
   entire Church. I too would like to be there with you, but since I am unable to   
   travel, I will do this instead ... but I am very close to you in these   
   difficult moments. I said, during my return journey from Turkey: Christians   
   are being driven out of the Middle East, with suffering. I thank you for the   
   witness you give; and there is a great deal of suffering in your witness.   
   Thank you! Many thanks.   
    "It would seem that there they do not want there to be any Christians, but   
   you bear witness to Christ. I think of the wounds, of the pain of women with   
   their children, the elderly and the displaced, the wounds of those who are   
   victims of every type of violence.   
    "As I mentioned in Ankara, particular concern is caused by the fact that   
   above all, due to an extremist and fundamentalist group, entire communities,   
   especially, - but not only - Christians and Yazidi, have suffered and continue   
   to suffer inhuman violence because of their religious and ethnic identity.   
   Christians and Yazidis have been forced out of their homes, they have had to   
   abandon everything to save their lives, but they have not denied their faith.   
   Even holy buildings, monuments, religious symbols and cultural heritage have   
   been affected by the violence, almost as if to cancel every trace, every   
   memory of the other.   
    "As religious leaders, we are obliged to denounce all violations of the   
   dignity and rights of humanity.   
    "Today I wish to draw closer those of you who tolerate this suffering, and to   
   be close to you ... And I think of St. Therese of the Baby Jesus, who said   
   that she and the Church were like a rod: when the wind rises and the storm   
   comes, the rod bends but it does not break. At the moment, you are like this   
   rod: you bend painfully, but you have the strength to carry forth your faith,   
   which is a testimony to us. You are God's rod today! The rods that bend under   
   this ferocious wind, but then rise up again.   
    "I wish to thank you again. I pray that the Spirit, Who makes all things new,   
   will give each of you strength and resistance. It is a gift of the Holy   
   Spirit. And I strongly urge, as I did in Turkey, greater international   
   collaboration to resolve the conflicts that cause blood to be shed in your   
   lands of origin, to combat the other causes that lead people to leave their   
   homelands and to promote suitable conditions for them to remain or return. I   
   hope that you will return, that you will be able to return.   
    "Dear brothers and sisters, you are in my heart and my prayers, and in the   
   hearts and prayers of all Christian communities, whom I will ask to pray in a   
   special way for you on 8 December, to pray to Our Lady to protect you: she is   
   our mother and will protect you.   
    "Brothers and sisters, your resistance is martyrdom, it is dew that brings   
   fruitfulness. Please, I ask you to pray for me. May the Lord bless you and Our   
   Lady protect you.   
    May God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, bless you".   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Audiences   
    Vatican City, 6 December 2014 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in   
   audience:   
    - Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops;   
    - Cardinal George Pell, prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy;   
    - Archbishop Osvaldo Padilla, apostolic nuncio in Korea and Mongolia;   
    - Bishop Pier Giorgio Debernardi of Pinerolo, Italy;   
    - Cardinal Angelo Amato, S.D.B.;   
    - Cardinal Beniamino Stella, prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy.   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Other Pontifical Acts   
    Vatican City, 9 December 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed:   
    - Bishop Martin Musonde Kivuva of Machakos, Kenya, as archbishop of Mombasa   
   (area 38,000, population 2,214,000, Catholics 323,000, priests 116, religious   
   321), Kenya.   
    - Msgr. Adolfo Ramon Canecin as coadjutor of the diocese of Goya (area   
   33,603, population 307,500, Catholics 283,000, priests 48, religious 51),   
   Argentina. The bishop-elect was born in Formosa, Argentina in 1958 and was   
   ordained a priest in 1988. He has served as vicar in the parish of "Maria   
   Madre de la Iglesia" and parish priest of the "Sagrada Familia" parish,   
   Formosa; rector of the cathedral of Formosa; and vicar general and rector of   
   "La Encarnacion" interdiocesan seminary in Resistencia, Chaco. He is currently   
   episcopal vicar for pastoral ministry and parish priest in the "San Francisco   
   de Asis" parish.   
    On Monday, 8 December, the Holy Father appointed Bishop Filomeno do   
   Nascimento Vieira Dias of Cabinda, Angola, as archbishop of Luanda (area 343,   
   population 3,682,000, Catholics 2,717,000, priests 14, religious 493), Angola.   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
   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   
   the source:  V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service.   
   http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html   
      
   --- MPost/386 v1.21   
    * Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)