Subject: VISnews 110131
Organization: VIS - Ufficio Stampa della Santa Sede
From: Vatican Information Service - Eng - txt
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
TWENTY FIRST YEAR - N. 20
ENGLISH
MONDAY, 31 JANUARY 2011
SUMMARY: 29 - 31 JANUARY
- Pontifical Ethiopian College: 150th Anniversary of Patron
- Message for 4th Centenary University Santo Tomas
- Message for World Leprosy Day
- Angelus: World Leprosy Day, Prayers for Middle East Peace
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts
___________________________________________________________
PONTIFICAL ETHIOPIAN COLLEGE: 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF PATRON
VATICAN CITY, 29 JAN 2011 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican Benedict XVI
received priests and seminarians of the Pontifical Ethiopian College in a
meeting to mark the 150th anniversary of the death of St. Justin de Jacobis
(1800-1860), patron of that institution.
St. Justin "was a worthy son of St. Vincent de Paul who put the principle
of 'being everything for everyone' into exemplary practice, especially in
his service to the people of Abyssinia. At the age of thirty-eight he was
sent by Cardinal Franzoni, then prefect of the Propaganda Fide, as a
missionary to Ethiopia, ... where he founded a seminary called the "College
of Mary Immaculate".
"He learned the local language, championed the centuries-old liturgical
tradition of the rites of those communities, as well as working effectively
towards ecumenism", said the Pope. "His particular passion for education,
especially the formation of priests, means that he can justly be considered
as the patron of your college. Indeed, this worthy institution still
welcomes priests and candidates to the priesthood, supporting them in their
theological, spiritual and pastoral preparations".
The Holy Father called on the priests, when returning to their communities
of origin or assisting their compatriots abroad, "to arouse in everyone a
love for God and the Church, following the example of St. Justin de Jacobis.
He crowned his fruitful contribution to the religious and civil life of the
Abyssinian peoples with the gift of his own life, silently restored to God
after much suffering and persecution. He was beatified by Venerable Pius XII
on 25 June 1939 and canonised by Servant of God Paul VI on 26 October 1975.
"The way of sanctity also lies open to you, dear priests and seminarians",
Pope Benedict added. "Sanctity lies at the very heart of the ecclesial
mystery; it is the vocation to which we are all called. Saints are not some
exterior ornamentation of the Church; rather, they are like the flowers of a
tree which testify to the endless vitality of the lymph flowing through it.
It is good to see the Church like this, in ascension towards the fullness of
the 'Vir perfectus'; in continual, demanding, progressive maturation;
dynamically driven towards complete fulfilment in Christ".
Benedict XVI concluded by encouraging the members of the Pontifical
Ethiopian College "to live this important period of your formation, in the
shadow of the dome of St. Peter's, with joy and dedication. Walk resolutely
along the path of sanctity. You are a sign of hope, especially for the
Church in your countries of origin. I am certain that the experience of
communion you have experienced here in Rome will also help you to make a
precious contribution to growth and peaceful coexistence in your own beloved
nations".
AC/ VIS
20110131 (470)
MESSAGE FOR 4TH CENTENARY UNIVERSITY SANTO TOMAS
VATICAN CITY, 29 JAN 2011 (VIS) - Made public today was a video message of
the Holy Father to students, staff and alumni of the Pontifical University
of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines, for the four-hundredth anniversary of
its foundation.
Speaking English the Pope gratefully recalls "the many clergy, religious
and laity who, at Santo Tomas, have handed down to generations of Filipinos
the faith, knowledge and wisdom to be found in the religious and secular
sciences".
"In particular", he adds, "I salute the memory of your founder, Bishop
Miguel de Benavides, and the great commitment of the Dominicans who have
guided the institution through the many challenges of the past four
centuries. As you know, the University of Santo Tomas is the oldest
institution of Catholic higher education in the Far East and it continues to
play a very important role in the Church throughout the region.
"I am confident", the Holy Father concludes, "that, keeping in mind the
faith and reason that are always part of a truly integrated approach to
education, your university will continue to contribute to the intellectual,
spiritual and cultural enrichment of the Philippines and beyond".
MESS/ VIS
20110131 (200)
MESSAGE FOR WORLD LEPROSY DAY
VATICAN CITY, 29 JAN 2011 (VIS) - Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, president of
the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care, has written a message for
the fifty-eighth World Leprosy Day, which falls on 30 January. The message
is entitled: "Uniting our efforts for a better expression of justice and
love towards leprosy sufferers".
This World Day, Archbishop Zimowski writes, is an opportunity "to
reiterate our gratitude for the commitment of millions of workers,
professionals and volunteers from the fields of healthcare, society,
politics and the media, who have helped and continue to help leprosy
sufferers". In this context, he expresses particular thanks to the Raoul
Follereau Association, which is soon to celebrate its sixtieth anniversary.
"The lethal impact of leprosy", he continues, "has been considerably
reduced following the development of effective pharmacological treatments.
Yet it continues to provoke suffering, disability and social exclusion,
causing ignorance, inequality and discrimination to prosper which, in their
turn, promote the spread of the disease. ... There is still a serious lack
of structures, both for early diagnosis of the infection, and for the social
and professional rehabilitation of people who have been cured but remain
mutilated by Hansen's disease. We must promote a more widespread education
of communities and peoples, so that they understand that those who have been
cured no longer represent any threat of infection to others and must be
helped to reinsert themselves into society".
Quoting from the Pope's Message for the twenty-fifth international
conference of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care, Archbishop
Zimowski notes how, "also in the field of healthcare - which is an integral
part of individual life and of the common good - it is important to
establish true distributive justice which guarantees everyone adequate care
on the basis of objective needs. Consequently, the world of healthcare
cannot divorce itself from moral rules, which must govern it in order to
ensure it does not become inhuman".
On the eve of World Leprosy Day, the president of the pontifical council
also mentions the efforts made by people within the Church "who, in many
cases, committed themselves even unto the sacrifice of their own lives for
the victims of Hansen's disease", in which context he mentioned the Canadian
Cardinal Paul-Emile Leger, the Belgian St. Damian de Veuster and the Polish
Blessed Jan Beyzym.
CON-AVA/ VIS
20110131 (390)
ANGELUS: WORLD LEPROSY DAY, PRAYERS FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE
VATICAN CITY, 30 JAN 2011 (VIS) - At midday today, Benedict XVI appeared at
the window of his study to pray the Angelus with faithful gathered below in
St. Peter's Square, including young people from Catholic Action in the
diocese of Rome who traditionally dedicate the month of January to their
"Caravan of Peace" initiative. After the Angelus, a boy and girl from
Catholic Action joined the Holy Father at his window to release two white
doves as a sign of peace.
Before the Marian prayer the Pope commented on this Sunday's reading from
the Gospel, in which St. Matthew recounts Jesus' first pubic address to the
multitudes on the hills around Lake Galilee, known as the Sermon on the
Mount or the Beatitudes, in which He describes as blessed the poor in
spirit, those who mourn, the merciful, the pure in heart and the persecuted.
"The Beatitudes", said the Pope, are a new programme for life, to free
ourselves from the false values of the world and open ourselves to true
goodness, now and in the future. When, in fact, God consoles, when He
satisfies hunger for justice or dries the tears of the afflicted, this means
that, apart from rewarding each person in material terms, He opens the
Kingdom of Heaven. The Beatitudes are the transposition of the cross and the
resurrection into the lives of the disciples. They reflect the life of the
Son of God Who allowed himself to be persecuted and despised, even unto
being sentenced to death, so that mankind might receive salvation".
"For this reason the Church does not fear poverty, humiliation or
persecution in a society often attracted by material wellbeing and worldly
power", the Holy Father said.
After praying the Angelus he recalled how this Sunday also marks World
Leprosy Day, which was instituted in the 1950s by Raoul Follereau and is
recognised by the United Nations. "Leprosy, though in regression,
unfortunately still affects many people who live in conditions of dire
poverty. To all leprosy sufferers, I give assurances of my prayers, which I
extend to the people who assist them and to those who, in various ways, are
committed to eradicating Hansen's disease".
He then addressed some remarks to the people of various Far Eastern
States, who are currently celebrating the new lunar year. "To all those
great peoples, my heartfelt best wishes for serenity and prosperity", he
said.
Finally the Pope noted that today also marks the International Day of
Intercession for Peace in the Holy Land. "I join the Latin Patriarch of
Jerusalem and the Custos of the Holy Land", he said, "in inviting everyone
to pray to the Lord that hearts and minds may converge on authentic projects
of peace".
ANG/ VIS
20110131 (470)
AUDIENCES
VATICAN CITY, 31 JAN 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate
audiences:
- Cardinal Marc Ouellet P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
- Bishop Javier Echevarria Rodriguez, prelate of the Personal Prelature of
Opus Dei.
AP/ VIS
20110131 (40)
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
VATICAN CITY, 31 JAN 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Mauro Maria
Morfino S.D.B., professor of Holy Scripture at the Pontifical Theological
Faculty of Sardinia, as bishop of Alghero-Bosa (area 2,012, population
106,300, Catholics 105,650, priests 87, permanent deacons 7, religious 176),
Italy. The bishop-elect was born in Arborea, Italy in 1958 and ordained a
priest in 1986.
On Saturday 29 January it was made public that he appointed
- Fr. Eusebio Hernandez Sola O.A.R., bureau chief at the Congregation for
Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, as bishop of
Tarazona (area 4,514, population 91,414, Catholics 74,201, priests 94,
religious 115), Spain. The bishop-elect was born in Carcar, Spain in 1944
and ordained a priest in 1968.
- As members of the Council of Cardinals and Bishops of the Section for
Relations with States of the Secretariat of State: Cardinal Peter Erdo,
archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Hungary; Cardinal Marc Ouellet P.S.S.,
prefect of the Congregation for Bishops; Cardinal Fortunato Baldelli,
penitentiary major of the Apostolic Penitentiary, and Cardinal Raymond Leo
Burke, prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.
- As members of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants
and Itinerant Peoples: Cardinal Ennio Antonelli, president of the Pontifical
Council for the Family; Archbishop Cyril Vasil S.J., secretary of the
Congregation for the Oriental Churches; Bishop Antoine Audo S.J. of Aleppo
of the Chaldeans, Syria; Bishop John Charles Wester of Salt Lake City,
U.S.A.; Bishop Luigi Negri of San Marino-Montefeltro, Italy, and Bishop
Guerino Di Tora, auxiliary of Rome.
- As consultors of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants
and Itinerant Peoples: Msgr. Jacques Harel, national consultant for the
Apostolate of the Sea in Mauritius; Fr. Maurizio Pettena C.S., director of
the office for migrants of the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference;
Paolo Morozzo Della Rocca, professor of the faculty of jurisprudence at the
University of Urbino, Italy; Christopher Hein, director of the Italian
Council for Refugees, and Laura Zanfrini, professor of the faculty of
sociology at the Sacred Heart Catholic University in Milan, Italy.
- Msgr. Robert Golebiowski, notary of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota, as
substitute defender of the bond at the same tribunal.
NER:NA/ VIS 20110131
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