think of the unfortunate and all who suffer, and to rededicate ourselves to   
   bringing them comfort and happiness through acts of love and compassion".   
    This year's text is inspired by Pope Francis's "Message for the 2015 World Day   
   of Peace", entitled No Longer Slaves, but Brothers and Sisters, in which the   
   Holy Father observes that, historically, the institution of slavery was once   
   generally accepted and resulted in the "rejection of others, their   
   mistreatment,   
   violations of their dignity and fundamental rights, and institutionalised   
   inequality". Accordingly, "a slave could be bought and sold, given away or   
   acquired, as if he or she were a commercial product" and although slavery has   
   been formally abolished throughout the world, there are still "millions of   
   people today - children, women and men of all ages - deprived of freedom and   
   forced to live in conditions akin to slavery".   
    Pope Francis gives examples of modern day slavery: men, women and child   
   labourers; migrants who undergo physical, emotional and sexual abuse while   
   working in shameful working conditions; persons forced into prostitution, many   
   of whom are minors, as well as male and female sex slaves; those kidnapped by   
   terrorists and forced to be combatants, and those who are tortured, mutilated   
   or   
   killed. Human hearts deformed by corruption and ignorance are, according to the   
   Holy Father, the cause of these terrible evils against humanity. When hearts   
   are   
   corrupted, human beings no longer see others as "beings of equal dignity, as   
   brothers or sisters sharing a common humanity, but rather as objects".   
    "Dear friends, we share the conviction that modern slavery and human   
   trafficking are grave crimes, open wounds on the body of contemporary society",   
   states the message for Vesakh. In one section of the "Eightfold Path" - namely   
   "Right Livelihood" - the Buddha declares that trading in live beings, including   
   slaves and prostitutes, is one of five occupations that are not to be engaged   
   in. He instructs that possessions are to be acquired peacefully, honestly and   
   by   
   legal means, without coercion, violence or deceit, and by means that do not   
   cause harm or suffering. In this way, Buddhism promotes respect for the life   
   and   
   freedom of each person".   
    "As Buddhists and Christians committed to respect for human life, we must   
   cooperate together to end this social plague. Pope Francis invites us to   
   overcome indifference and ignorance by offering assistance to victims, in   
   working for their psychological and educational rehabilitation, and in efforts   
   to reintegrate them into society where they live or from which they come".   
    The text concludes, "We pray that your celebration of Vesakh, which includes   
   making special efforts to bring happiness to those less fortunate in our midst,   
   may be a time of deepened consideration of the various ways in which we can   
   work   
   together so that there will no longer be slaves, but brothers and sisters   
   living   
   in fraternity, loving kindness and compassion for all".   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Regina Coeli: the content of Christian witness is not an ideology   
    Vatican City, 19 April 2015 (VIS) - At midday today the Pope appeared at the   
   window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to pray the Regina Coeli   
   with the faithful present in the square. Before the Marian prayer, Francis   
   spoke   
   about the meaning of witness in the life of Christians. "A witness is one who   
   has seen, who recalls, and recounts", he said. "To see, to remember and to tell   
   are the three verbs that describe identity and mission. The witness is one who   
   has seen, but not with indifferent eyes; he has seen and allowed himself to be   
   involved in the event. Therefore, he also remembers, not only because he is   
   able   
   to precisely reconstruct the facts, but because these facts have spoken to him   
   and he has grasped their deep meaning. And so the witness recounts, not in a   
   cold or detached way, but as one who has allowed himself to be questioned, and   
   has from that day forth changed his life".   
    "The content of Christian witness is not a theory, and ideology, or a complex   
   system of precepts and prohibitions", he added, "but rather a message of   
   salvation, a concrete event, or rather a Person: it is the risen Christ, the   
   sole and living Saviour of all".   
    The Pontiff went on to emphasise that the Christian may be a witness of the   
   risen Christ "by way of a path that has its foundation in Baptism and its   
   nourishment in the Eucharist, its seal in Confirmation and its continual   
   conversion in Penance. ... If, however, a Christian allows himself to be rapt   
   by   
   comforts and vanity, if he becomes deaf and blind to the question of   
   'resurrection' of so many of his brothers, how will he be able to communicate   
   the living Jesus, with his liberating power and infinite tenderness?".   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Men and women like us, seeking a better life   
    Vatican City, 19 April 2015 (VIS) - Following the Marian prayer, the Pope   
   launched an appeal to the international community to react as soon as possible   
   to tragedies like Saturday's shipwreck in Sicilian waters, causing the deaths   
   of   
   hundreds of immigrants travelling towards the Italian coast.   
    "They are men and women like us", he said. "Our brothers who seek a better   
   life; hungry, persecuted, wounded, exploited, victims of wars, seeking a better   
   life. They were looking for happiness. I invite you to pray for them".   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    State Visit of the President of the Italian Republic   
    Vatican City, 18 April 2015 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father received a   
   State visit from the president of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella. The   
   visit takes place just two months after his election, and as the Pontiff   
   remarked, "shows the excellent relations between the Holy See and Italy". There   
   is a long-standing tradition of regular meetings between the Italian   
   authorities   
   and the Universal Church, reinforced following Vatican Council II.   
    In his address to the president, the Pope referred first to the Lateran Pacts,   
   incorporated into the Republican Constitution, which constitute "a solid   
   framework for reference, within which the relations between Italy and the Holy   
   See have been peacefully developed and strengthened, guaranteeing mutual   
   sovereignty and independence and at the same time ensuring mutual orientation   
   towards active collaboration, on the basis of shared values and in view of the   
   common good". For this, it is fundamental for collaboration to be constantly   
   renewed, "distinguishing roles and competences and with full respect for   
   reciprocal functions", with the aim of "uniting forces for the good of all   
   citizens, who have the right to such harmony, from which they derive   
   innumerable   
   benefits. ... Reciprocal autonomy does not diminish, but indeed enhances common   
   responsibility for human beings and for the spiritual and material needs of the   
   community, which we all have the task of serving with humility and dedication".   
    "A healthy pluralism does not reject the specific contribution offered by the   
   various ideal and religious members that make up our society, provided that, of   
   course, they accept the fundamental principals that guide civil life, and do   
   not   
   exploit or distort their beliefs to violent and abusive ends. In other words,   
   the orderly development of a pluralistic civil society presupposes that it does   
   not claim to confine the true religious spirit solely to the intimacy of the   
   conscience, but that it also recognises its significant role in the building of   
   society, legitimating the the valuable contribute that it may offer". In this   
   respect, the history of Italy clearly demonstrates both the great contribution   
   of Christianity to her culture and the character of her population, and the   
   extent to which Christian faith has permeated the art, architecture and customs   
   of the country".   
    The Pope did not fail to mention, among the fundamental goods for the   
   development of each community, the importance of work, "distinguished by its   
   bond with the very dignity of the person, with the possibility of building a   
   dignified and free existence", and he emphasised that "the lack of work for the   
   young becomes a cry of pain that must impel those in public office,   
   intermediary   
   organisations, private businesspeople and the ecclesial community to make every   
   effort to remedy the situation, according the suitable priority to the problem.   
   Indeed, the possibility of dignity and of the future resides in the   
   availability   
   of work".   
    Another theme of the Pope's address was the protection of the environment, and   
   in this regard he spoke about the Milan Universal Exposition, the theme of   
   which   
   is "Feeding the planet: energy for life". "The event of the Expo will be an   
   important occasion in which the most modern technologies necessary for   
   guaranteeing healthy, safe and sufficient food for all peoples, respecting the   
   environment, will be presented", he said. "This may also contribute to deeper   
   study of the causes of environmental degradation, in order to provide the   
   competent authorities with a framework of knowledge and experience   
   indispensable   
   for making effective decisions and for preserving the health of the planet that   
   God has entrusted to the care of humankind".   
    Finally, the Holy Father expressed his gratitude for Italy's efforts in   
   receiving the many immigrants who, risking their lives, seek acceptance. "It is   
   clear that the proportions of the phenomenon require a much broader   
   involvement.   
   We must never tire of soliciting more extensive efforts at European and   
   international levels".   
    Francis concluded by expressing his hope that Italy, "treasuring her noble   
   traditions and culture, largely inspired by Christian faith, may progress and   
   prosper in harmony, offering her valuable contribution to peace and justice in   
   the world".   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Italy and the Holy See: promoting and protecting religious freedom and human   
   dignity at bilateral and international levels   
    Vatican City, 18 April 2015 (VIS) - This morning the president of the Italian   
   Republic, Sergio Mattarella, paid a visit to the Holy Father Francis. The Head   
   of the Italian State, accompanied by Paolo Gentiloni, minister for foreign   
   affairs and international cooperation, subsequently met with Cardinal Secretary   
   of State Pietro Parolin, accompanied by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher,   
   secretary for Relations with States.   
    During the cordial discussions, satisfaction was expressed for the good   
   relations between the Holy See and Italy, further consolidated by the recent   
   signing of the Convention on fiscal matters. Themes relevant to the Italian   
   social situation were then considered, with particular reference to the family,   
   education, work and migration. Appreciation was affirmed for the cooperation of   
      
   --- MPost/386 v1.21   
    * Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)