VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE   
   YEAR XXII - # 076   
   DATE 22-04-2015   
      
   Summary:   
   - General audience: man and woman, complementary and of the same divine   
   substance   
   - On Earth Day, the Pope invites us to see the world through God's eyes   
   - Pope Francis' trip to Cuba confirmed   
   - Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue: make space for dialogue with   
   Muslims, now more than ever   
   - Other Pontifical Acts   
   - Notice   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    General audience: man and woman, complementary and of the same divine   
   substance   
    Vatican City, 22 April 2015 (VIS) - Pope Francis dedicated his catechesis at   
   today's Wednesday general audience to the second chapter of Genesis, in which   
   we   
   read that God created man as the culmination of all Creation and placed him in   
   a   
   beautiful garden so that he could cultivate it. "The Holy Spirit, who inspires   
   all the Bible, suggests for a moment the image of man alone, without woman",   
   said the Pontiff. "And it suggests the thought of God, almost the sentiments of   
   God as He watches him, as He observes Adam alone in the garden: he is free, he   
   is the master, but ... he is alone. And God sees that this is not good; it is a   
   lack of communion, a lack of fullness. 'It is not good that the man should be   
   alone; I will make him a helper fit for him'".   
    When after presenting all the other creatures, God finally presents woman to   
   Adam, "the man joyfully recognises that creature, and only her, to be part of   
   him: 'bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh'. Finally there is reflection,   
   reciprocity. The woman is not a replica of man; she comes directly from God's   
   gesture of creation. Indeed, the image of the 'rib' does not imply inferiority   
   or subordination, but on the contrary, that man and woman are of the same   
   substance and are complementary. And the fact that, again in the parable, God   
   forms woman while man is sleeping, underlines that she is in no way a creation   
   of man, but of God".   
    God's trust in man and woman, to whom He entrusts the earth, is generous,   
   direct and full. "He trusts them. But here there is the evil one who introduces   
   suspicion, incredulity and distrust into their minds. And finally, they arrive   
   at the point of disobeying the commandment that protects them. They give in to   
   the delirium of omnipotence that contaminates everything and destroys harmony".   
    "Sin generates diffidence and division between man and woman. Their   
   relationship is undermined by a thousand forms of abuse and subjection, of   
   deceptive seduction and humiliating arrogance, including the most tragic and   
   violent. History bears their traces. Let us think, for instance, of the   
   negative   
   excesses of patriarchal culture. Think of the exploitation and commodification   
   of the female body in the media in contemporary culture. But let us also think   
   of the recent epidemic of distrust, scepticism and even hostility that is   
   spreading in our culture - starting in particular from a comprehensible   
   diffidence on the part of women - with regard to the alliance between man and   
   woman that is able, at the same time, to refine the intimacy of communion and   
   safeguard the dignity of difference".   
    "If we do not find a wave of sympathy for this alliance, able to protect new   
   generations from distrust and indifference, the children who come into the   
   world   
   will be increasingly rooted in it", warned the bishop of Rome. "The social   
   devaluation of the stable and generative alliance of man and woman is certainly   
   a loss for all. We must restore honour to marriage and the family".   
    "The stewardship of this alliance of man and woman, even if they are sinners   
   and wounded, confused and humiliated, distrustful and uncertain, is therefore   
   for us as believers a demanding and exciting vocation. The account of creation   
   and sin, at the end, offers us a beautiful image: 'And the Lord God made for   
   Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them'. It is an image of   
   tenderness towards the couple, sinners as they were, that leaves us speechless.   
   It is an image of the paternal protection of the human couple. God Himself   
   cares   
   for and protects His finest creation", concluded the Pope.   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    On Earth Day, the Pope invites us to see the world through God's eyes   
    Vatican City, 22 April 2015 (VIS) - In the multi-lingual greetings at the end   
   of today's catechesis, the Pope addressed among others the Polish pilgrims who   
   tomorrow celebrate the solemnity of St. Adalbert, whose martyrdom more than a   
   thousand years ago formed the foundation of his church and his nation. St. John   
   Paul II described him as an "incomparable inspiration for those who today work   
   to build a Europe renewed in the faith of her cultural and religious roots".   
   "May the heavenly protection of the patron of Poland confirm you in your faith   
   and intercede for the peace and development of your homeland".   
    Addressing the Italian faithful present, he also mentioned that today is Earth   
   Day, and he urged all to "see the world through the eyes of God the Creator:   
   the   
   earth is the environment to protect and the garden to cultivate. The   
   relationship between man and nature must not be governed by greed, manipulation   
   and exploitation, but rather should preserve the divine harmony between   
   creatures and creation, in the logic of respect and care, to place it at the   
   service of our brothers and for future generations".   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Pope Francis' trip to Cuba confirmed   
    Vatican City, 22 April 2015 (VIS) - The director of the Holy See Press Office,   
   Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., today issued the following declaration:   
    "I am able to confirm that the Holy Father Francis, having received and   
   accepted the invitation from the civil authorities and bishops of Cuba, has   
   decided to pay a visit to the island before his arrival in the United States   
   for   
   the trip announced some time ago".   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue: make space for dialogue with   
   Muslims, now more than ever   
    Vatican City, 22 April 2015 (VIS) - The following is the full text of a   
   Declaration published this morning by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious   
   Dialogue:   
    "The events of recent times cause many of us to ask: 'Is there still space for   
   dialogue with Muslims?'. The answer is: yes, more than ever.   
    Firstly because the great majority of Muslims themselves do not identify with   
   the current acts of barbarism.   
    Unfortunately today the word 'religious' is often associated with the word   
   'violence', whereas believers must demonstrate that religions are required to   
   be   
   heralds of peace and not violence.   
    To kill in the name of religion is not only an offence to God, but it is also   
   a   
   defeat for humanity. On 9 January 2006 Pope Benedict XVI, addressing the   
   Diplomatic Corps and speaking about the danger of clashes between civilisations   
   and in particular organised terrorism, affirmed that 'No situation can justify   
   such criminal activity, which covers the perpetrators with infamy, and it is   
   all   
   the more deplorable when it hides behind religion, thereby bringing the pure   
   truth of God down to the level of the terrorists' own blindness and moral   
   perversion'.   
    Unfortunately in recent days we have witnessed a radicalisation of community   
   and religious discourse, with the consequent risks of increasing hatred,   
   violence, terrorism and the growing and commonplace stigmatisation of Muslims   
   and their religion.   
    In such a context we are called upon to strengthen fraternity and dialogue.   
   Believers have formidable potential for peace, if we believe that man was   
   created by God and that humanity is a single family; and even more so if we   
   believe, as we Christians do, that God is Love. Continuing to engage in   
   dialogue, even when experiencing persecution, can become a sign of hope.   
   Believers do not wish to impose their vision of humanity and of history, but   
   rather seek to propose respect for differences, freedom of thought and   
   religion,   
   the protection of human dignity, and love for truth.   
    We must have the courage to review the quality of family life, the methods of   
   teaching religion and history, and the contain of sermons in our places of   
   worship. Above all, family and schools are the key to ensuring that tomorrow's   
   world will be based on mutual respect and brotherhood.   
    Uniting our voice to that of Pope Francis, we say: 'any violence which seeks   
   religious justification warrants the strongest condemnation because the   
   Omnipotent is the God of life and peace. The world expects those who claim to   
   adore God to be men and women of peace who are capable of living as brothers   
   and   
   sisters, regardless of ethnic, religious, cultural or ideological differences'   
   (Ankara, 28 November 2014)".   
      
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    Other Pontifical Acts   
    Vatican City, 22 April 2015 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Bishop   
   Eduardo Pinheiro Da Silva, S.D.B., auxiliary of the archdiocese of Campo   
   Grande,   
   Brazil, as bishop of Jaboticabal (area 5,175, population 486,000, Catholics   
   366,000, priests 66, permanent deacons 1, religious 88), Brazil.   
    Yesterday, 21 April, the Holy Father appointed Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of   
   Kansas City in Kansas, U.S.A., as apostolic administrator "sede vacante" of the   
   diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph.   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Notice   
    Vatican City, 22 April 2015 (VIS) - We inform our readers that tomorrow, feast   
   day of St. George, patron of the Holy Father, the Vatican Information Service   
   Bulletin will not be transmitted. Service will resume on Friday 24 April.   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
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