VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE   
   YEAR XXII - # 075   
   DATE 21-04-2015   
      
   Summary:   
   - The Pope participates in the suffering and consternation of the Orthodox   
   Patriarch of Ethiopia for the recent slaughter of Christians   
   - Collaboration agreements with UNICEF and CONMEBOL in favour of Scholas   
   Occurrentes, signed before the Holy Father   
   - Other Pontifical Acts   
   - In memoriam   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    The Pope participates in the suffering and consternation of the Orthodox   
   Patriarch of Ethiopia for the recent slaughter of Christians   
    Vatican City, 21 April 2015 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon Pope Francis sent a   
   message to the Patriarch of the Ethiopian Tewahedo Orthodox Church, His   
   Holiness   
   Abuna Matthias, upon hearing of the slaughter of 28 Ethiopian Christians   
   kidnapped in Libya by the group ISIS.   
    "With great distress and sadness I learn of the further shocking violence   
   perpetrated against innocent Christians in Libya. I know that Your Holiness is   
   suffering deeply in heart and mind at the sight of your faithful children being   
   killed for the sole reason that they are followers of our Lord and Saviour   
   Jesus   
   Christ. I reach out to you in heartfelt spiritual solidarity to assure you of   
   my   
   closeness in prayer at the continuing martyrdom being so cruelly inflicted on   
   Christians in Africa, the Middle East and some parts of Asia.   
    It makes no difference whether the victims are Catholic, Copt, Orthodox or   
   Protestant. Their blood is one and the same in their confession of Christ! The   
   blood of our Christian brothers and sisters is a testimony which cries out to   
   be   
   heard by everyone who can still distinguish between good and evil. All the more   
   this cry must be heard by those who have the destiny of peoples in their hands.   
    At this time we are filled with the Easter joy of the disciples to whom the   
   women had brought the news that 'Christ has risen from the dead'. This year,   
   that joy - which never fades - is tinged with profound sorrow. Yet we know that   
   the life we live in God's merciful love is stronger than the pain all   
   Christians   
   feel, a pain shared by men and women of good will in all religious traditions.   
    With heartfelt condolences I exchange with Your Holiness the embrace of peace   
   in Christ Our Lord".   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Collaboration agreements with UNICEF and CONMEBOL in favour of Scholas   
   Occurrentes, signed before the Holy Father   
    Vatican City, 21 April 2015 (VIS) - This morning, in the Domus Sanctae Marthae   
   and in the presence of Pope Francis, the executive director of UNICEF, Anthony   
   Lake, and the deputy president of CONMEBOL signed two collaboration agreements   
   in favour of Scholas Occurrentes, the educational network supported by the Holy   
   Father.   
    UNICEF is the United Nations Children's Fund, and CONMEBOL the South American   
   Football Confederation. Scholas Occurrentes is a the first worldwide initiative   
   with the aim of promoting integration and peace between peoples through   
   education, connecting more than 400,000 schools and educational networks, both   
   public and private and of all religions. The five-year collaboration with   
   UNICEF   
   will be based on the broadening of access for young children, especially the   
   most disadvantaged, to technology, sport and the arts - platforms for   
   education,   
   participation and the building of peace, enabling the young to learn about   
   themselves, others and the world that surrounds them.   
    Scholas and UNICEF will initially cooperate in a series of joint activities   
   worldwide, with the special aim of bringing an end to violence and promoting   
   the   
   connectedness of all young people, making the most of the unique capacities of   
   each person to favour the participation of adolescents and to broaden their   
   access to the tools and information they need to be connected, to communicate   
   and to collaborate.   
    The two organisations will explore the bonds between their respective   
   platforms   
   for mobilisation on social networks and communication media, and will support   
   both digital campaigns and social movements in aid of the most disadvantaged   
   children. The specific collaboration projects include involvement in the   
   Scholas   
   network in terms of content and opportunities for the participation by young   
   people in "The young express their own opinion", UNICEF's online space for   
   adolescents and young people. UNICEF will also adapt the U-Report for the   
   Scholas global community, which will enable its members to join the 500,000 or   
   so young people who already use the mobile-based platform to speak about their   
   interests and to participate.   
    The organisations will also develop new opportunities for collaboration in   
   relation to major events centred on world youth, such as the Summit on the   
   Social Impact of Youth, to be held during the Summer Games of the Special   
   Olympics in 2015 in Los Angeles. In 2016, the association will begin to explore   
   initiatives at regional, national and community levels, including campaigns to   
   raise awareness and joint promotional activities linked to issues affecting   
   millions of disadvantaged adolescents.   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Other Pontifical Acts   
    Vatican City, 21 April 2015 (VIS) - The Holy Father has:   
    - accepted the resignation from the pastoral ministry of the diocese of Kansas   
   City-St. Joseph, U.S.A., presented by Bishop Robert W. Finn, in accordance with   
   canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.   
    - accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary of the archdiocese of   
   Guadalajara, Mexico, presented by Bishop José Trindad Gonzalez Rodriguez, in   
   accordance with canons 411 and 401 para. 2 and of the Code of Canon Law.   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    In memoriam   
    Vatican City, 20 April 2015 (VIS) - The following prelates have died in recent   
   weeks:   
    - Bishop Andre Vallee, P.M.E., emeritus of Hearst, Canada, on 28 February at   
   the age of 84.   
    - Cardinal Edward Michael Egan, archbishop emeritus of New York, U.S.A, on 5   
   March at the age of 82.   
    - Bishop Antonio Dorado Soto, emeritus of Malaga, Spain, on 17 March at the   
   age   
   of 83.   
    - Bishop Malachy John Goltok, of Bauchi, Nigeria, on 21 March at the age of   
   49.   
    - Archbishop Ennio Appignanesi, emeritus of Potenza-Muro Lucano-Marsico Nuovo   
   Italy, on 26 March at the age of 89.   
    - Bishop Alonso Llano Ruiz, emeritus of Istmina-Tado, Colombia, on 26 March at   
   the age of 83.   
    - Bishop Juan Carlos Maccarone, emeritus of Santiago del Estero, Argentina, on   
   29 March at the age of 74.   
    - Bishop Alberto Ricardo da Silva, emeritus of Dili, East Timor, on 2 April at   
   the age of 71.   
    - Bishop William Benedict Friend, emeritus of Shreveport, U.S.A. on 2 April at   
   the age of 83.   
    - Archbishop Luis María Perez de Onraita Aguirre, emeritus of Malanje, Angola   
   on 3 April at the age of 81.   
    - Bishop Eugene Moke Motsuri , auxiliary emeritus of Kinshasa, Democratic   
   Republic of Congo, on 6 April at the age of 99.   
    - Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte, archbishop emeritus of Montreal, Canada, on 8   
   April at the age of 78.   
    - Bishop Joao Alves dos Santos, O.F.M. Cap., of Paranagua, Brazil, on 9 April   
   at the age of 58.   
    -Bishop Elmo Noel Joseph Perera, emeritus of Galle, Sri Lanka, on 9 April at   
   the age of 82.   
    - Bishop Antonio Alberto Guimaraes Rezende, C.S.S., emeritus of Caetite,   
   Brazil, on 13 April at the age of 89.   
    - Cardinal Roberto Tucci, S.J., on 14 April, at the age of 93.   
    - Bishop Felice Leonardo, emeritus of Cerreto Sannita-Telese-Sant'Agata de'   
   Goti, Italy, on 15 April at the age of 100   
    - Cardinal Francis Eugene George, O.M.I., archbishop emeritus of Chicago,   
   U.S.A., on 17 April at the age of 78.   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
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