will see them. So, I decided to leave them to Our Lady of Copacabana, the   
   Mother   
   of Bolivia, and these two honours will go to the Shrine of Copacabana, to Our   
   Lady. However, I am taking the the sculpture of Christ with me.   
    Question: During the Mass in Guayaquil, you said that the Synod will have to   
   develop true discernment to find concrete solutions to the difficulties faced   
   by   
   families. And then you asked the people to pray because even that which may   
   seem   
   impure to us, which may seem scandalous or frightening, can be transformed into   
   a miracle by God. Can you clarify what "impure", "scandalous" or "frightening"   
   situations you were referring to?   
    Answer: Here again there is a need for a hermeneutics of the text. I was   
   talking about the miracle of the wine during the wedding at Cana and I said   
   that   
   the jars of water were full, but they were intended for purification. Or   
   rather,   
   every person who entered the feast carried out a rite of cleansing, leaving   
   behind their spiritual impurities. It is a purification rite performed before   
   entering a house or a temple. A rite that we have in holy water, which is what   
   remains to us of the Jewish ritual. I said that Jesus made good wine with the   
   impure water, the worst water. In general, I thought about making this comment:   
   the family is in crisis, we all know this. ... I was referring to all of this,   
   in   
   general: that the Lord may purify us of these crises, of the many things that   
   are described in the Instrumentum laboris. It is a general issue, not referring   
   to any particular point.   
    Question: Seeing how well the mediation went between Cuba and the U.S., do you   
   think it would it be possible to do something similar between other delicate   
   situations in other countries on the Latin American continent? I'm thinking of   
   Venezuela and Colombia.   
    Answer: The process between Cuba and the United States was not mediation. It   
   did not have the character of mediation. There was a wish that came ... And   
   then,   
   to tell you the truth, three months went by, and I only prayed about the matter   
   ... what could I do with these two who had been like this for more than 50   
   years.   
   Then the Lord made me think of a cardinal. He went there and talked; then knew   
   nothing more and months went by. One day the secretary of State, who is here,   
   told me, "Tomorrow we will have the second meeting with the two teams." ...   
   "Yes,   
   yes, they are talking, the two groups are talking ...". It happened by itself.   
   It   
   was not a mediation. It was the goodwill of the two countries, and the merit is   
   theirs, the merit is theirs for doing this. We did hardly anything, only small   
   things. And in mid-December, it was announced. ... Now, I am concerned that the   
   peace process in Colombia must not come to a halt. I have to say this, and I   
   hope that the process goes ahead. In this sense, we are always willing to help,   
   in many ways. It would be a bad thing if it did not go ahead. In Venezuela, the   
   Episcopal Conference is working to make peace there, too. But there too, there   
   is no mediation.   
    Question: One thing we have heard very little of is a message for the middle   
   class, that is, people who work, who pay their taxes, normal people. My   
   questions is: why are there so few messages for the middle class in the Holy   
   Father's teaching?   
    Answer: Thank you, it is a good correction? You are right, it is an error on   
   my   
   part. The world is polarised. The middle class is becoming smaller. The   
   polarisation between rich and poor is great, this is true, and perhaps this has   
   led me not to take account of it. Some nations are doing very well, but in the   
   world in general polarisation is very evident. And the number of poor is large.   
   And why do I speak of the poor? Because they are at the heart of the Gospel.   
   ...   
   Then with regard to the middle class, I have said a few words, but somewhat "in   
   passing". But the common people, the simple people, the worker, that is a great   
   value. But I think you are telling me about something I need to do: I need to   
   deepen the magisterium on this.   
    Question: Now that Cuba will have a greater role in the international   
   community, do you think that Havana will have to improve its reputation with   
   regard to human rights and religious freedom? And do you think that Cuba risks   
   losing something in its new relationship with the most powerful country in the   
   world?   
    Answer: Human rights are for all, and are not to be respected only in one or   
   two countries. I would say that in many countries throughout the world human   
   rights are not respected. ... What will Cuba or the U.S. lose? Both will gain   
   something and lose something, because this happens in negotiations. Both will   
   gain, this is sure: peace, encounter, friendship, collaboration. These they   
   will   
   gain ... but what will they lose, I cannot imagine. They may be concrete   
   things.   
   But in negotiations one always [both] wins and loses. But returning to human   
   rights, and religious freedom: just think that in the world there are some   
   countries, even in Europe, where you cannot make a religious sign, for   
   different   
   reasons. The same applies to other continents. Religious freedom is not   
   respected in all the world: there are many places where it is not respected.   
    Question: Holy Father, in summary, what message did you want to give to the   
   Latin American Church in these days? And what role can the Latin American   
   Church   
   have, also as a sign to the world?   
    Answer: The Latin American Church has a great asset: it is a young Church ...   
   with a certain freshness, also some informalities, it is not very formal. In   
   addition it has a rich body of theological research. I wanted to encourage this   
   young Church and I believe that this Church can offer us much. One thing that   
   really struck me was that in all three countries, in the streets, there were   
   many fathers and mothers with their children. ... I have never seen so many   
   children! It is a people - and also a Church - that has a lesson for us, for   
   Europe, where the declining birthrate is worrying, and there are few policies   
   for helping large families. France has a good policy for helping large families   
   and it has achieved a birthrate of more than two per cent, but in others it   
   remains at zero percent. ... The greatest asset of this people and of this   
   Church   
   is that it is a living Church. I believe we can learn from this and correct it   
   as otherwise, if we no longer have children ... It is what touches me most   
   about   
   this tendency to cast aside: children are discarded, the elderly are discarded,   
   and through the lack of work, the young too are discarded. These new nations of   
   young people give us greater strength. For the Church, I would say that a young   
   Church - with many problems, because it has problems - I think that this is the   
   message I find: do not be afraid of this youth and this freshness of the   
   Church.   
   It can also be a somewhat undisciplined Church, but with time it will become   
   disciplined, and it offers us much that is good.   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    The Holy See regards the Iranian nuclear programme in a positive light   
    Vatican City, 14 July 2015 (VIS) - The director of the Holy See Press Office,   
   Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., made the following statement this morning   
   regarding   
   the nuclear agreement with Iran:   
    "The agreement on the Iranian nuclear programme is viewed in a positive light   
   by the Holy See. It constitutes an important outcome of the negotiations   
   carried   
   out so far, although continued efforts and commitment on the part of all   
   involved will be necessary in order for it to bear fruit. It is hoped that   
   those   
   fruits will not be limited to the field of nuclear programme, but may indeed   
   extend further".   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Other Pontifical Acts   
    Vatican City, 14 July 2015 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed:   
    - Fr. Emmanuel Fianu, S.V.D., as bishop of Ho (area 5,893, population 658,845,   
   Catholics 200,670, priests 82, religious 92), Ghana. The bishop-elect was born   
   in Tegbi, Ghana in 1957, gave his perpetual vows in 1984, and was ordained a   
   priest in 1985. He studied biblical theology at the Pontifical Biblical   
   Institute, Rome, and has served in a number of administrative and academic   
   offices, including admonitor of the S.V.D. District in Lome, lecturer in   
   biblical sciences at the St. Jean Paul II Seminaire and the Institute St. Paul   
   of Lome; secretary for the Commission for liturgical publications for   
   Ghana-Togo; rector of the College of the Divine Word, Rome; secretary for   
   formation for the Africa-Madagascar S.V.D. Provinces; and coordinator for the   
   AFRAM zone, based in Accra. He is currently secretary of the General Council of   
   his Congregation. He succeeds Bishop Francis Anani Kofi Lodonu, whose   
   resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese upon reaching the age   
   limit was accepted by the Holy Father.   
    - Msgr. Jorge Enrique Concha Cayuqueo, O.F.M., as auxiliary of the archdiocese   
   of Santiago de Chile (area 9,132, population 6,290,000, Catholics 4,205,000,   
   priests 877, permanent deacons 339, religious 3,109), Chile. The bishop-elect   
   was born in Carahue, Chile in 1958, gave his solemn vows in 1983, and was   
   ordained a priest in 1986. He holds a doctorate in social sciences from the   
   Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, and has served in a number of roles,   
   including provincial secretary for formation and studies, parish vicar,   
   guardian   
   of the "San Felipe de Jesus" formation house in Santiago and commissioner for   
   the Holy Land in Chile. He is currently provincial minister for the Franciscan   
   Province of the Most Holy Trinity in Chile, president of the Conference of   
   Provincial Ministers of the Southern Cone (Argentina, Paraguay and Chile) and   
   first deputy president of the Conference of Religious in Chile.   
    - Fr. Benedictus Son Hee-Song as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Seoul (area   
   17,349, population 10,143,645, Catholics 1,472,815, priests 908, religious   
   2,282), Korea. The bishop-elect was born in Kyenki Yeonchenun Chadari, Korea,   
   and was ordained a priest in 1986. He studied theology in Innsbruck, Austria,   
   obtaining a licentiate and doctorate. He has served in a number of roles,   
   including parish priest, lecturer at the Catholic University of Seoul, deputy   
   director of the Commission for reviewing publications; and secretary general of   
   the Episcopal Commission for the doctrine of faith. He is currently director of   
   archdiocesan pastoral ministry, member of the presbyteral council, member of   
   the   
   pastoral council, member of the Commissions for continuing formation of the   
   clergy, for foreign missions, and for the management of day care centres for   
   the   
   elderly of Seoul, member and deputy director of the Commission for the   
   protection of the holy sites of martyrdom in Seoul, and secretary general of   
   the   
   Episcopal Commission for the lay apostolate.   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
   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)