VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE   
   YEAR XXII - # 178   
   DATE 13-10-2015   
      
   Summary:   
   - International congress to commemorate 50 years since the conciliar   
   declaration   
   Nostra Aetate   
   - Fr. Lombardi on the "Letter to the Pope from thirteen cardinals"   
   - Other Pontifical Acts   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    International congress to commemorate 50 years since the conciliar declaration   
   Nostra Aetate   
    Vatican City, 13 October 2015 (VIS) - On the fiftieth anniversary of the   
   conciliar declaration "Nostra Aetate", on the relationships between the   
   Catholic   
   Church and non-Christian religions, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious   
   Dialogue, the Commission for Religious Relations with Judaism and the   
   Pontifical   
   Gregorian University (PGU) have organised an international congress from 26 to   
   28 October hosted by the PGU to commemorate the event and to analyse its   
   repercussions during the last five decades.   
    The congress will begin on Monday 26 October with greetings from Fr.   
   Francois-Xavier Dumortier, S.J., rector of the Pontifical Gregorian University,   
   and with an introduction by Fr. Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot, M.C.C.J., secretary   
   of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. This will be followed by   
   a screening of the documentary "Nostra Aetate, the Leaven of God", and   
   interventions from Cardinals Kurt Koch (president of the Pontifical Council for   
   Promoting Christian Unity) and Jean-Louis Tauran (president of the Pontifical   
   Council for Interreligious Dialogue). The day will conclude with greetings from   
   representatives of various religions.   
    On Tuesday 27, in the morning, the theologian Paul Gilbert S.J. and the   
   philosopher Professor Bruna Costacurta from the Pontifical Gregorian University   
   will consider the theme "Interreligious Dialogue: believers at the service of   
   the human person", a dual reflection from perspectives of philosophy and   
   theology. The next session will be entitled "Violence and the engagement of   
   religions for peace" with the Fr. Rocco D'Ambrosio (PGU) as moderator of the   
   two   
   round table discussions. In the first, the speakers will be the general   
   secretary of the Islamic Cultural Centre of Italy, Abdellah Redouane, and Rabbi   
   David Rosen, international director of interreligious affairs of the American   
   Jewish Committee. In the second there will be interventions from Alberto   
   Quatrucci (Men and Religions, from the Sant'Egidio Community) and Professor B.   
   Wimalaratana of the Buddhist Bellamwila Rajamaha Viharaya temple in Sri Lanka.   
   The theme of the afternoon session will be "The challenge of religious   
   freedom",   
   with Fr. Franco Imoda, S.J., as the moderator of the two round tables. In the   
   first, the speaker will be Rev. Fr. Christian Rutishauser S.J., Permanent   
   Consultor of the Holy See for religious relations with Jews, and Rabbi Daniel   
   Sperber of the Bar-Ilan University, Israel, while in the second there will be   
   interventions by Rasoul Rasoulipor of the Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences   
   of the University of Kharazmi, Iran and Swami Chidananda of the FOWAI (Flame of   
   Who Am I?) Forum, India.   
    On Wednesday 28 October, the participants in the Congress will attend the   
   morning general audience with the Holy Father, and in the afternoon they will   
   debate the issue of "Education and the transmission of values". The moderator   
   will be Fr. Bryan Lobo, S.J. (PGU), and the speakers Singh Walia of the Sri   
   Guru   
   Granth Sahib World University, India; Nayla Tabbara, of the ADYAN Foundation,   
   Lebanon; Rabbi Riccardo Segni, chief rabbi of the Jewish Community of Rome, and   
   Samani Pratibha Pragya of the Jain Vishwa Bharati Institute, United Kingdom.   
    The Congress will conclude with a presentation by Cardinal Secretary of State   
   Pietro Parolin, entitled "Educating for peace".   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Fr. Lombardi on the "Letter to the Pope from thirteen cardinals"   
    Vatican City, 13 October 2015 (VIS) - The director of the Holy See Press   
   Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., has given the following clarification   
   regarding the publication yesterday of a "Letter to the Pope from thirteen   
   cardinals".   
    As we are aware, at least four of the Synod Fathers who were included in the   
   list of signatories have denied their involvement (Cardinals Angelo Scola,   
   Andre   
   Vingt-Trois, Mauro Piacenza and Peter Erdo).   
    Cardinal Pell has declared that a letter sent to the Pope was confidential and   
   should have remained as such, and that neither the text published nor the   
   signatories correspond to what was sent to the Pope.   
    I would add that, in terms of content, the difficulties included in the letter   
   were mentioned on Monday evening in the Synod Hall, as I have previously said,   
   although not covered extensively or in detail.   
    As we know, the General Secretary and the Pope responded clearly the following   
   morning. Therefore, to provide this text and this list of signatories some days   
   later constitutes a disruption that was not intended by the signatories (at   
   least by the most authoritative). Therefore it would be inappropriate to allow   
   it to have any influence.   
    That observations can be made regarding the methodology of the Synod is   
   neither   
   new nor surprising. However, once agreed upon, a commitment is made to put it   
   into practice in the best way possible.   
    This is what is taking place. There is very extensive collaboration in the   
   task   
   of allowing the Synod to make good progress on its path. It may be observed   
   that   
   some of the "signatories" are elected Moderators of the Circuli Minori, and   
   have   
   been working intensively. The overall climate of the Assembly is without doubt   
   positive.   
    Cardinal Napier has expressly asked me to clarify the comments published in an   
   interview with "Crux", which do not correspond to his opinion. With regard to   
   the composition of the "Commission of the 10" for the final text, it was   
   incorrectly written that "... Napier said, adding that he would actually   
   challenge   
   ‘Pope Francis' right to choose that'". Cardinal Napier has requested that this   
   be corrected, affirming the exact opposite: "... no-one challenges Pope   
   Francis'   
   right to choose that".   
    I have no further observations to make.   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Other Pontifical Acts   
    Vatican City, 13 October 2015 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed:   
    - Rev. Msgr. Justin Bernard Gnanapragasam as bishop of Jaffna (area 4,400,   
   population 1,493,720, Catholics 240,682, priests 153, religious 324), Sri   
   Lanka.   
   The bishop-elect was born in Karampon, Sri Lanka in 1948 and ordained a priest   
   in 1974. He has served in a number of roles in the diocese of Jaffna, including   
   parish vicar, parish priest, vice rector and rector of St. Henry's College,   
   dean   
   of the Ilavalai deanery, director of a group of state schools, visiting   
   professor at the major seminary and rector of St. Patrick's College. He is   
   currently vicar general of Jaffna. He succeeds Bishop Thomas Savundaranayagam   
   Emmanuel, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese upon   
   reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.   
    - Rev. Fr. Arthur J. Colgan, C.S.C., as auxiliary of the diocese of Chosica   
   (area 3,418, population 1,931,000, Catholics 1,706,000, priests 131, religious   
   717), Peru. The bishop-elect was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, U.S.A. in   
   1946, gave his religious vows in 1966 and was ordained a priest in 1973. He has   
   served in a number of pastoral and administrative roles within his religious   
   Institute, including superior of the Congregation of the Holy Cross in Peru,   
   parish priest, vicar general, episcopal vicar for the archdiocese of Lima,   
   Peru,   
   theological assessor for the Episcopal Commission for Social Action of the   
   Peruvian Episcopal Conference, and provincial superior for the Eastern Province   
   of his congregation in Bridgeport, Connecticut, U.S.A. He is currently vicar   
   general of the diocese of Chosica, Peru.   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
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