VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE   
   YEAR XXII - # 077   
   DATE 24-04-2015   
      
   Summary:   
   - The Pope receives the president of the Czech Republic: strengthen   
   collaboration in areas of common interest   
   - "Ad Limina" visit of the bishops of Lesotho and Namibia: be generous in   
   bringing Christ's tenderness to those who suffer   
   - The Holy See at the United Nations: condemnation of violence against women in   
   armed conflict   
   - Audiences   
   - Other Pontifical Acts   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    The Pope receives the president of the Czech Republic: strengthen   
   collaboration   
   in areas of common interest   
    Vatican City, 24 April 2015 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican Apostolic   
   Palace the Holy Father Francis received in audience the president of the Czech   
   Republic, Milos Zeman, who subsequently met with Archbishop Paul Richard   
   Gallagher, secretary for Relations with States.   
    During the cordial discussions, which took place on the twenty-fifth   
   anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and   
   the then-Czech and Slovak Federative Republic, which took place on 19 April   
   1990, mutual willingness to strengthen the good bilateral relations was   
   confirmed, along with the hope of concluding negotiations with a view to   
   stipulating a bilateral Agreement. The Parties expressed their wish to further   
   develop cooperation between Church and State in sectors of mutual interest,   
   especially in culture, education and social welfare, for the benefit of the   
   entire nation.   
    Attention then turned to the current international context, with special   
   attention to the situation of Christians and other minorities in the Middle   
   East.   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    "Ad Limina" visit of the bishops of Lesotho and Namibia: be generous in   
   bringing Christ's tenderness to those who suffer   
    Vatican City, 24 April 2015 (VIS) - Today Pope Francis received in audience   
   the   
   bishops of Lesotho and Namibia, "lands known for their flourishing Christian   
   faith", at the end of the "ad Limina" visit. In the written discourse he handed   
   to the prelates, the Pope recalled the labours and sacrifices of many   
   missionaries, who were supported by generations of indigenous companions in   
   lands which have often presented great challenges, both environmental and   
   social, but which are known for their churches and chapels, parishes, mission   
   stations and outstations, "which draw many to a community life centred on   
   prayer   
   and work".   
    "Renowned too are your numerous schools at every level, your clinics and   
   hospitals, built with love and faithfulness from the materials of Namibia's   
   soil   
   and Lesotho's mountains. I encourage you to continue supporting and nurturing   
   these great blessings, even when resources are sparse, for the Lord promises   
   that he will not fail to bless us".   
    He continued, "I know that your communities face many challenges daily, and I   
   am sure that this weighs heavily on your hearts. Strengthen them in love to   
   overcome selfishness in private or public life; be generous in bringing them   
   the   
   tenderness of Christ where threats to human life occur, from the womb to old   
   age   
   - and I think particularly of those suffering with HIV and AIDS". He encouraged   
   them to "not only win them to the cause of Christ but also make them   
   protagonists of a renewed African society".   
    The Pope goes on to mention Christian families that are fragmented due to   
   employment far away from home, or because of separation or divorce and urged   
   the   
   bishops to continue offering them help and guidance, preparing couples for   
   Christian marriage, and constantly sustaining families by offering generously   
   the Church's Sacraments, especially the Sacrament of mercy. "I thank you for   
   your efforts in promoting healthy family life in the face of distorted views   
   that emerge in contemporary society. ... The family is the best setting for   
   learning and applying the culture of forgiveness, peace and reconciliation. ...   
   From healthy families will come numerous priestly vocations, families where men   
   have learned to love inasmuch as they have been unconditionally loved ...having   
   learned respect, justice, the role of authority expressed by parents and loving   
   concern".   
    "In a time of an apparent decrease in vocations to the priesthood and to   
   religious life, it is important to speak openly about the fulfilling and joyful   
   experience of offering one's life to Christ", continues the Holy Father. "For   
   when your Christian communities are built up by your own continued example of   
   'living in truth and joy your priestly commitments, celibacy in chastity and   
   detachment from material possessions', then vocations to the priesthood and the   
   consecrated life will most certainly abound". He thanks God for "the continued   
   witness and service of so many communities of religious brothers and sisters   
   who   
   are vital to the praying heart of the Church, along with the many committed   
   sodalities and other lay associations of the Church in Lesotho and Namibia". He   
   also notes, when developing pastoral plans, in paying careful spiritual   
   attention to the poorest in society. "I ask you to be particularly mindful of   
   those most in need in your Churches, entrusting all your initiatives to God's   
   care".   
    Finally, he exhorts the bishops to "persevere as men of deep and constant   
   prayer, in the way of Blessed Joseph Gerard, who listened to the promptings of   
   the Holy Spirit in all matters. Prayer precedes and leads to authentic   
   evangelisation. As you know from experience, when the Church summons all   
   Christians to constantly take up anew the task of evangelising the world, 'she   
   is simply pointing to the source of authentic personal fulfilment'; that is,   
   she   
   is showing us the path to our deepest happiness".   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    The Holy See at the United Nations: condemnation of violence against women in   
   armed conflict   
    Vatican City, 23 April 2015 (VIS) - Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Holy See   
   permanent observer at the United Nations, spoke during the Security Council   
   open   
   debate on "Women, peace security" in New York on 15 April 2015.   
    "Women are not spared any of the brutal consequences of war, and are   
   additionally subject to uniquely degrading and traumatising attacks and   
   long-term consequences", said the prelate. "It is only just and reasonable that   
   their voice should be present and influential in the work of preventing and   
   resolving violence and war. It is well documented that sexual violence of many   
   kinds accompanies modern warfare. We all know the awful litany: women are raped   
   and trafficked, forced into prostitution to earn a living, and terrorised   
   individually and in their roles as protectors of their children and other   
   vulnerable family members. All violence against human life is terrible, but   
   sexual violence is intended to debase, dehumanise, demoralise - in a unique   
   way.   
   The consequences are profound and long lasting - physical as well as   
   psychological".   
    The nuncio remarked that this last year has been notable for the "new and   
   ongoing atrocities involving sexual violence in various conflicts and by groups   
   such as Boko Haram and the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).   
   Some are also attacks upon women and girls purely because of the faith they   
   profess. Although this is of very serious concern today for Christians, surely   
   this is a matter where our shared human nature, across all religions and   
   cultures, cries out for common commitment of members of all faiths and   
   governments, strongly to condemn and confront such heinous acts, and to step   
   forward to protect those threatened".   
    "It seems that, in the past several years, there has emerged a greater   
   international consciousness of the scourge of human trafficking, and even   
   increased responses" he continued. "It is to be hoped that there will be an   
   ever   
   greater appreciation of what Pope Francis has called the 'trauma', affecting   
   both 'body and spirit', of rape as a tool of war. To adapt an observation made   
   by His Holiness, a two point drop in the stock market is front page news, while   
   the violation of hundreds or even thousands of women would go unreported".   
    The Holy See delegation therefore supports the processes identified in   
   successive reports issued by the Secretary General, as essential for ensuring   
   justice to women assaulted in conflict: effective investigation and   
   documentation; consistent and rigorous prosecution; and ongoing investigation   
   and responsibility regarding the root causes of sexual and other violence in   
   armed conflict. "We support efforts to bring adequate legal, medical and social   
   services to the particular women affected, to witnesses and survivors, and to   
   their family members. Because of the Catholic Church's permanent local presence   
   in the areas of the world most affected by disasters, a network of Catholic   
   institutions and agencies respond rapidly and effectively to address the   
   consequence of violence in armed conflict. It is always distressing, however,   
   to   
   see that some are still promoting the abortion of unborn children as part of   
   the   
   'treatment' or response to the attack of their mothers. This contradicts the   
   peace and security mission of the United Nations, and proposes to meet violence   
   with more violence".   
    Archbishop Auza concluded, "It has been observed many times at this body, and   
   it is true, that women are not only victims but also necessary agents and   
   contributors in the work of preventing and resolving conflicts. Without their   
   contributions, government, negotiators and civil society groups can neither   
   understand the problems, nor propose effective solutions. Moreover, it is   
   important to continue in every Member State the steady and patient work of   
   achieving structural justice for women in every sector of society. A proper   
   vision of women's roles in society, and an integration of women in every social   
   sector, are crucial aspects of the prevention of violence".   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Audiences   
    Vatican City, 24 April 2015 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in   
   audience:   
    - Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Muller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine   
   of the Faith;   
    - Ana Maria Freire;   
    - Seven prelates of the Namibia and Lesotho Catholic Bishops' Conferences, on   
   their "ad Limina" visit:   
    - Archbishop Liborius Ndumbukuti Nashenda, O.M.I. of Windhoek, Namibia;   
    - Bishop Philipp Pollitzer, O.M.I., of Keetmanshoop, Namibia;   
    - Bishop Joseph Shipandeni Shikongo, O.M.I., apostolic vicar of Rundu,   
   Namibia;   
    - Archbishop Gerard Tlali Lerotholi, O.M.I., of Maseru, Lesotho;   
    - Bishop Augustinus Tumaole Bane, O.M.I., of Leribe, Lesotho;   
    - Bishop John Joale Tlhomola, S.C.P., of Mohale's Hoek, Lesotho;   
    - Bishop Joseph Mopeli Sephamola, O.M.I., of Qacha's Nek, Lesotho.   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Other Pontifical Acts   
    Vatican City, 24 April 2015 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed:   
    - Rev. Fr. Edward C. Malesic as bishop of Greensburg (area 8,632, population   
   704,000, Catholics 166,200, priests 205, permanent deacons 2, religious 350),   
   U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in Harrisburg, U.S.A. in 1960, and was   
   ordained   
   a priest in 1987. He holds a licentiate in canon law from the Catholic   
   University of America, Washington D.C., and has served in a number of pastoral   
   roles in the diocese of Harrisburg, including deputy priest, chaplain of the   
   York College and the Millersville University; auditor; defender of the bond and   
   canonical consultor of the ecclesiastical tribunal; and adjunct judicial vicar.   
   He is currently parish priest of the Holy Infant Parish in York Haven, and   
   judicial vicar. He succeeds Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt, whose resignation from   
   the pastoral care of the same diocese upon reaching the age limit has been   
   accepted by the Holy Father.   
    - Bishop Josef Graf as auxiliary of the diocese of Regensburg (area 14,665,   
   population 1,712,000, Catholics 1,207,706, priests 953, permanent deacons 108,   
   religious 477), Germany. The bishop-elect was born in Riedenburg, Germany in   
   1957 and was ordained a priest in 1983. He holds as doctorate in theology from   
   the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, and has served as parish vicar in   
   Regensburg-Reinhausen. He is currently spiritual director of the major seminary   
   of Regensburg. In 2007 he was named Chaplain of His Holiness.   
    - Msgr. Piergiorgio Bertoldi, nunciature counsellor, as apostolic nuncio to   
   Burkina Faso and Niger, at the same time elevating him to the dignity of   
   archbishop.   
    On Thursday, 23 April, the Holy Father appointed Rev. Fr. Brendan Cahill as   
   bishop of Victoria in Texas (area 23,573, population 292,229, Catholics   
   119,600,   
   priests 62, permanent deacons 39, religious 88), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was   
   born in 1963 in Coral Gables, U.S.A., and was ordained a priest in 1990. He   
   holds a doctorate in dogmatic theology from the Pontifical Gregorian   
   University.   
   He has served in a number of pastoral roles, including parish vicar, rector of   
   the "St. Mary" seminary in Houston, archdiocesan director of the Secretariat   
   for   
   Clergy Formation and Chaplaincy Services, head of the Priests Personnel Board,   
   and member of the presbyteral council. He is currently vicar for the clergy of   
   the same diocese. He succeeds Bishop David E. Fellhauer, whose resignation from   
   the pastoral care of the same diocese upon reaching the age limit was accepted   
   by the Holy Father.   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
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