The Holy Father greeted the representatives of the various associations from   
   the area that are occupied in "welcoming the suffering Christ", especially   
   those who have problems of substance abuse through support centres and homes,   
   and recalled last year's meeting with the detainees in the Castrovillari   
   prison, with the sick, and the extraordinary presence of the people on the   
   Sibaris plain. "May the Lord help you to be welcoming communities, to   
   accompany toward Christ those who find it difficult to discern his presence   
   that saves".   
    "I would like to reaffirm a thought that I suggested to you during my visit:   
   he who loves Jesus, he who listens to Him and welcomes His Word, and he who   
   lives in a sincere way the response to the Lord's call cannot in any way lend   
   himself to the works of evil. Either Jesus, or evil! Jesus did not invite us   
   to dine with demons: he cast them out, because they were evil. It is not   
   possible to declare oneself Christian and then violate the dignity of people;   
   those who belong to the Christian community cannot plan and implement violent   
   acts against others and against the environment. The outward gestures of   
   religiosity, unaccompanied by true and public conversion, are not sufficient   
   to believe oneself in communion with Jesus and with His Church. The external   
   gestures of religiosity are not enough to credit as believers those who, with   
   the wickedness and arrogance typical of miscreants, make illegality their way   
   of living. To those who have chosen the way of evil and who are affiliated to   
   delinquent organisations, I renew my invitation to conversion. Open your heart   
   to the Lord! The Lord awaits you and the Church will welcome you if, just as   
   your decision to serve evil is public, your wish to serve good is clear and   
   public".   
    "The beauty of your land is a gift from God and an asset to conserve and to   
   hand down in all its splendour to future generations", remarked Francis.   
   "Therefore, there is a need for courageous efforts by all, starting with the   
   institutions, to ensure that it is not defaced irreparably by sordid   
   interests". He went on to list the Emmanuel Community among the places of   
   beauty in the area: an place of "welcome and sharing" where young people whose   
   lives have been devastated by drug abuse can find a "good Samaritan who tends   
   to their wounds and knows how to anoint them with the balsam of closeness and   
   affection", and noted that it has restored hope to many families. "The Church   
   thanks you for this service", he said. "Placing yourself by the side of young   
   people and adults who suffer as a result of addiction, you have embraced the   
   suffering Christ and sowed hope".   
    "Our time has a great need for hope!", exclaimed the Holy Father. "The young   
   can no longer be robbed of hope. ... The young need hope. It is necessary to   
   offer concrete signs of hope to those who experience pain and suffering.   
   Social organisations and associations, as well as individuals who strive   
   towards acceptance and sharing, are generators of hope. Therefore, I exhort   
   your Christian communities to be agents of solidarity, never to stop before   
   those who, for mere personal interest, sow self-centredness, violence and   
   injustice. Oppose yourselves to the culture of death and be witnesses to the   
   Gospel of life! May the light of God's Word and the support of the Holy Spirit   
   help you to look with new and willing eyes upon the new forms of poverty that   
   drive so many young people and families to desperation".   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Audiences   
    Vatican City, 21 February 2015 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in   
   separate audiences:   
    - Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops;   
    - Cardinal Angelo Amato, S.D.B., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes   
   of Saints.   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Other Pontifical Acts   
    Vatican City, 23 February 2015 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed:   
    - Bishop Freddy Antonio de Jesus Breton Martinez of Bani, Dominican Republic,   
   as metropolitan archbishop of Santiago de los Caballeros (area 3,633,   
   population 1,320,000, Catholics 1,105,000, priests 128, permanent deacons 121,   
   religious 325), Dominican Republic. He succeeds Archbishop Ramon Benito de la   
   Rosa y Carpio, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese   
   upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.   
    - Rev. Andres Napoleon Romero Cardenas as bishop of Barahona (area 6,973,   
   population 396,270, Catholics 215,000, priests 28, permanent deacons 2,   
   religious 54), Dominican Repubilc. The bishop-elect was born in Ramonal   
   Arriba, Dominican Republic in 1967 and was ordained a priest in 1995. He holds   
   a licentiate in philosophy and letters and in religious sciences from the   
   Pontifical University Mater et Magistra, Dominican Republic, and in biblical   
   theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University, and has served in a number   
   of pastoral and academic roles, including parish vicar, formator in the minor   
   seminary and diocesan director for priestly vocations, professor of sacred   
   scripture and research methodology, dean of the faculties of philosophy and   
   theology, and formator at the St. Thomas Aquinas Pontifical major seminary. He   
   is currently parish priest of the Cathedral of Santa Ana in the diocese of San   
   Francisco de Macoris. He succeeds Bishop Rafael Leonidas Felipe y Nunez, whose   
   resignation from the pastoral governance of the same diocese upon reaching the   
   age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.   
    - Fr. Hector Rafael Rodriguez Rodriguez M.S.C., as bishop of La Vega (area   
   4,919, population 977,000, Catholics 801,000, priests 92, permanent deacons   
   65, religious 223), Dominican Republic. The bishop-elect was born in Sanchez,   
   Dominican Republic in 1961, gave his solemn vows in 1984 and was ordained a   
   priest in 1989. He holds a licentiate in spiritual theology from the   
   Pontifical Gregorian University. During his pastoral ministry he has served as   
   parish vicar and, within his community, director for aspirants at the   
   Vocational Centre, director of the post-novitiate, master of novices,   
   Provincial. He has also served as member of the Managing Body of the Dominican   
   Conference of Religious. He is currently first adviser of the Congregation of   
   Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. He succeeds Bishop Antonio Camilo Gonzalez,   
   whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese upon reaching the   
   age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.   
    - Bishop Jose Miguel Gonzalez Rodriguez of Libano-Honda, Colombia, as bishop   
   of Facatativa (area 2,311, population 546,000, Catholics 512,000, priests 93,   
   permanent deacons 4, religious 305), Colombia.   
    On Saturday, 21 February appointed Archbishop Edgar Pena Parra, apostolic   
   nuncio in Pakistan, as apostolic nuncio in Mozambique.   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
   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)