Subject: VISnews 110202
Organization: VIS - Ufficio Stampa della Santa Sede
From: Vatican Information Service - Eng - txt
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
TWENTY FIRST YEAR - N. 22
ENGLISH
WEDNESDAY, 2 FEBRUARY 2011
SUMMARY:
- Teresa of Avila: Contemplative and Industrious
- Consecrated Life: a Precious Gift for the Church
- Other Pontifical Acts
___________________________________________________________
TERESA OF AVILA: CONTEMPLATIVE AND INDUSTRIOUS
VATICAN CITY, 2 FEB 2011 (VIS) - During his general audience, held this
morning in the Paul VI Hall, the Pope spoke about St. Teresa of Avila, who
lived from 1515 to 1582.
Teresa de Ahumada was born in the Spanish city of Avila, said Benedict
XVI. Although as an adolescent she read works of profane literature which
led her towards a life in the world, she later turned to spiritual works
which "taught her meditation and prayer. At the age of twenty she entered
the Carmelite convent of the Incarnation, also in Avila".
St. Teresa saw her struggle against her own physical ailments as "a
struggle against her weakness and resistance before the call of God. ... In
Lent 1554, at the age of thirty-nine, Teresa reached the pinnacle of her
fight against her own debilities".
"In parallel with the maturation of her interior life, the saint also
began to give concrete form to her idea of reforming the Carmelite order. In
1562, with the support of Bishop Alvaro de Mendoza of Avila, she founded the
first reformed Carmelite convent. ... Over the following years she continued
to found new Carmelite convents, reaching a total of seventeen. Her meeting
with St. John of the Cross proved fundamental and with him, in 1568, she
founded the first convent of Discalced Carmelites, at Duruelo near Avila".
Teresa died in 1582. She was beatified by Paul V in 1614 and canonised in
1622 by Gregory XV. In 1970 Servant of God Paul VI declared her a Doctor of
the Church.
The Holy Father noted how "Teresa of Avila had no academic education,
however she always gave great weight to the teaching of theologians, men of
letters and spiritual masters". Her major works include an autobiography in
which she presents her soul to St. John of Avila, and the "Way of
Perfection" intended as a spiritual guide for her own nuns. However, "St.
Teresa's most famous mystical work is the 'Interior Castle'", said the Pope,
in which "she codifies the possible development of Christian life towards
perfection. ... To her activity as founder of the Reformed Carmelites,
Teresa dedicated another work, the 'Book of Foundations'".
Referring then to the spirituality of Teresa, the Holy Father made
particular mention of her interest in "the evangelical virtues as the
foundation of all Christian and human life". He also noted how she laid
great emphasis on "profound harmony with the great biblical figures" and on
"listening to the Word of God. ... The saint also highlights the importance
of prayer", he said, "she teaches readers of her works to pray, and she
herself prays with them".
"Another question very dear to this saint was the centrality of Christ's
humanity. ... This lay at the basis of the importance she attributed to
meditation on the Passion, and to the Eucharist as the presence of Christ in
the Church, for the life of all believers and as the heart of the liturgy.
St. Teresa's love for the Church was unconditional", said the Pope,
identifying another essential part of her doctrine in "perfection as the
aspiration and final goal of all Christian life".
The Holy Father concluded by saying that "St. Teresa of Avila is an
authentic teacher of Christian life for the faithful in all times. In our
society, often lacking in spiritual values, St. Teresa teaches us to be
tireless witnesses of God, of His presence and His work. ... May the example
of this profoundly contemplative and industrious saint, encourage us to
dedicate adequate time to daily prayer, to openness to God in order to
discover His friendship and so to discover true life. ... Time spent in
prayer is not lost; it is a time in which we open the way to life, learning
to love God and His Church ardently, and to show real charity towards our
neighbours".
AG/ VIS
20110202 (650)
CONSECRATED LIFE: A PRECIOUS GIFT FOR THE CHURCH
VATICAN CITY, 2 FEB 2011 (VIS) - Following his catechesis during this
morning's general audience, Benedict XVI recalled the fact that today marks
the Day of Consecrated Life.
"To your prayers I entrust those who, having made vows of poverty,
chastity and obedience, strive after sanctity in the service of children,
young people, the sick, the elderly and the lonely. We are grateful to them
for their prayers and for the work they do in parishes, hospitals, care
homes and schools. Their service represents a particularly precious gift for
the Church. My heartfelt blessings go to all those who live in accordance
with the evangelical counsels".
AG/ VIS
20110202 (120)
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
VATICAN CITY, 2 FEB 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Bishop Jean Legrez O.P. of Saint-Claude, France, as archbishop
of Albi (area 5,780, population 363,000, Catholics 290,000, priests 175,
permanent deacons 12, religious 519), France. The archbishop-elect was born
in Paris, France in 1948, he was ordained a priest in 1976 and consecrated a
bishop in 2003.
- Appointed Bishop Raul Cecilio Berzosa Martinez, auxiliary of Oviedo,
Spain, as bishop of Ciudad Rodrigo (area 4,264, population 45,016, Catholics
44,028, priests 75, religious 126), Spain.
- Appointed Bishop Francisco Antonio Nieto Sua, auxiliary of Bogota,
Colombia, as bishop of San Jose del Guaviare (area 42,327, population
120,000, Catholics 112,000, priests 16, permanent deacons 2, religious 12),
Colombia.
- Appointed Bishop Atilano Rodriguez Martinez of Ciudad Rodrigo, Spain, as
bishop of Siguenza-Guadalajara (area 12,190, population 237,787, Catholics
211,630, priests 259, religious 403), Spain. He succeeds Bishop Jose Sanchez
Gonzalez, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the
Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Bishop Fidel Leon Cadavid Marin of Quibdo, Colombia, as bishop
of Sonson - Rionegro (area 7,300, population 601,000, Catholics 595,000,
priests 279, religious 801), Colombia.
- Appointed Fr. Miguel Olaortua Laspra O.S.A., director of the "San
Augustin" College in Zaragoza, Spain and provincial counsellor, as apostolic
vicar of Iquitos (area 100,041, population 1,064,090, Catholics 895,830,
priests 38, religious 71), Peru. The bishop-elect was born in Bilbao, Spain
in 1962 and ordained a priest in 1987. He succeeds Bishop Julian Garcia
Centeno O.S.A., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same
apostolic vicariate the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age
limit.
- Appointed Fr. Rosalvo Cordeiro de Lima of the clergy of the diocese of
Mogi das Cruzes, Brazil, pastor of the parish of "Sao Jose" in Salesopolis,
as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Fortaleza (area 14,813, population
3,585,000, Catholics 2,536,000, priests 328, permanent deacons 19, religious
1,174), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Uniao dos Palmares, Brazil in
1962 and ordained a priest in 1992.
- Appointed Archbishop Edgar Pena Parra as apostolic nuncio to Pakistan.
NER:RE:NEA:NN/ VIS 20110202
(360)
_____________________________________________
For further information and research of documents visit:
www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va
VIS english (text format) sends its news service only to those who have
requested it. If you no longer wish to receive the service, visit the
following link and click on calcel. Don't forget to select language and text
format:
http://212.77.1.245/news_services/press/vis/englinde.php#start
COPYRIGHT: The news items contained in the Vatican Information Service
may be used, in part or in their entirety, by quoting the source:
V.I.S. -Vatican Information Service
--- NetMgr/2 1.0y+
* Origin: NetMgr+ @ Sursum Corda! BBS Meridian MS USA (1:396/45)
|
