Subject: VISnews 110207
Organization: VIS - Ufficio Stampa della Santa Sede
From: Vatican Information Service - Eng - txt
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
TWENTY FIRST YEAR - N. 25
ENGLISH
MONDAY, 7 FEBRUARY 2011
SUMMARY: 5 - 7 FEBRUARY
- Task of Pastors: Devotion, Communion, Eucharist, Prayer
- Spiritual Exercises of the Pope and the Roman Curia
- Angelus: Sick People, Human Dignity, Situation in Egypt
- Catholic Universities: Lead Students to Light of the World
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts
___________________________________________________________
TASK OF PASTORS: DEVOTION, COMMUNION, EUCHARIST, PRAYER
VATICAN CITY, 5 FEB 2011 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican Basilica, the
Holy Father conferred episcopal ordination upon the following five priests:
Msgr. Savio Hon Tai-Fai S.D.B., secretary of the Congregation for the
Evangelisation of Peoples; Msgr. Marcello Bartolucci, secretary of the
Congregation for the Causes of Saints; Msgr. Celso Morga Iruzubieta,
secretary of the Congregation for the Clergy; Msgr. Antonio Guido Filipazzi,
apostolic nuncio, and Msgr. Edgar Pena Parra, apostolic nuncio to Pakistan.
Commenting on the Gospel reading from today's Mass, "The harvest is
plentiful but the labourers are few", the Pope said: "Although it may seem
that a large part of the modern world, of the men and women of today, turn
their backs on God and consider faith as a thing of the past, there is still
a longing that justice, peace and love will finally be established, that
poverty and suffering will be overcome, that mankind may find happiness".
"Today's liturgy", he went on, "gives us two definitions of your mission
as bishops, as priests of Jesus Christ: that of being labourers in the
harvest of world history with the task of healing, of opening the doors of
the world to the lordship of God that His will of may be done on earth as in
heaven; ... and that of co-operating in the mission of Jesus Christ".
In the Acts of the Apostles, St. Luke illustrates "the fundamental
elements of Christian existence in the communion of the Church of Jesus
Christ. He writes: 'They devoted themselves to the Apostles' teaching and
fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers''. These four major
elements of Church life also describe the essential task of her pastors",
the Pope explained.
"Devotion, constancy, is part of the essence of being Christian, and it is
fundamental for the role of pastors, labourers in the Lord's harvest. ...
Intrepidness, the courage to oppose the trends of the moment, are an
essential part of a pastor's duties. ... Only where there is stability can
there also be growth".
Referring then to the second of the "pillars" of the Church, "communion",
the Holy Father highlighted how "by being in communion with the Apostles, by
abiding in their faith, we ourselves are in contact with the living God.
This is the goal of the ministry of bishops. May this chain of communion not
be broken! The essence of apostolic succession is to maintain our communion
with the people who visibly and tangibly met with the Lord ".
"Help to ensure that joy in the great unity of the Church remains alive,
joy in the communion of all places and times, in the communion of the faith
which embraces heaven and earth", the Pope told the new archbishops.
The third fundamental element of ecclesial life is "the breaking of
bread", said Benedict XVI. "Breaking the bread - the Blessed Eucharist - is
the core of the Church and must be the core of our being Christian, of our
priestly lives. The Lord gives Himself to us; the Risen One enters my
intimate self and wishes to transform me, bringing me into profound
communion with Him".
"Let us seek to celebrate the Eucharist devotedly, with ever deeper
fervour; let us seek to organise our days around it and to allow ourselves
to be moulded by it. Breaking the bread is also an expression of sharing, of
transmitting our love for others. This social dimension, this sharing, is
not some moral appendix added to the Eucharist, but an essential part
thereof".
Commenting then on the fourth aspect of ecclesial life, "prayer", the Pope
noted that, "on the one hand, prayer must be highly personal, a union with
God in my most intimate being. ... However, it is never an exclusively
private affair regarding only my individual self, disassociated from others.
Prayer is always essentially an activity we undertake together as children
of God. Only in this 'us' can we be children of our Father, to whom the Lord
taught us to pray. ... Thus, in the final analysis, prayer cannot just be an
activity like any other, a little corner of my time".
"'Duc in altum' the Lord is telling you today, dear friends", the Holy
Father concluded. "You have been called to play roles that concern the
universal Church. You are called to throw out the nets of the Gospel into
the stormy seas of our time, to obtain the adherence of men and women to
Christ, so as to draw them out, so to speak, from the salty waters of death
and from the dark where the light of heaven does not reach. You must bring
them onto the earth, to live in communion with Jesus Christ".
HML/ VIS
20110207 (800)
SPIRITUAL EXERCISES OF THE POPE AND THE ROMAN CURIA
VATICAN CITY, 5 FEB 2011 (VIS) - The annual spiritual exercises of the Pope
and the Roman Curia are due to begin on 13 March, the first Sunday of Lent.
This year's meditations will be directed by Fr. Francois-Marie Lethel
O.C.D., prelate secretary of the Pontifical Academy of Theology.
The theme of the spiritual exercises, which will take place in the
"Redemptoris Mater" Chapel of the Vatican's Apostolic Palace, is: "The light
of Christ in the heart of the Church: John Paul II and the theology of the
saints".
The spiritual exercises will come to an end on Saturday 19 March. During
the retreat all audiences are suspended, including the weekly general
audience of Wednesday 16 March.
PD/ VIS
20110207 (130)
ANGELUS: SICK PEOPLE, HUMAN DIGNITY, SITUATION IN EGYPT
VATICAN CITY, 6 FEB 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.
"In today's Gospel", he said, "the Lord Jesus tells His disciples: 'You
are the salt of the earth. ... You are the light of the world'. Using these
deeply significant images, He wishes to convey to them the meaning of their
mission and their witness. In Middle Eastern culture, salt evokes various
values such as alliance, solidarity, life and hope. Light was the first work
of God the Creator, and it is the source of life. The Word of God itself is
compared to light".
For this reason, "the Lord's disciples are called to bring new 'flavour'
to the world, to preserve it from corruption with the wisdom of God, which
shines fully in the face of the Son because He is 'the true light which
enlightens everyone'. United to Him Christians can - amidst the shadows of
indifference and selfishness - diffuse the light of God's love, true wisdom
which gives meaning to the life and activities of mankind".
The Pope then went on to recall that 11 February, Feast of the Blessed
Virgin of Lourdes, also marks the World Day of the Sick. "This", he said,
"is a good opportunity to reflect, to pray and to raise the awareness of the
ecclesial community and of civil society towards their sick brothers and
sisters. In my Message for this Day, ... I invite everyone to contemplate
Jesus, the Son of God, Who suffered and died, but rose again. God radically
contests the arrogance of evil. The Lord takes care of man in all
situations, He shares his suffering and opens his heart to hope. Thus I
exhort all healthcare workers to see the sick person, not only as a frail
body, but above all as a person to whom to show solidarity and to offer
appropriate solutions".
In this context, the Holy Father also referred to the Day for Life, which
is being celebrated in Italy today. "I trust that everyone will work to make
the culture of life grow, so as to ensure that the value of human beings
remains central in all circumstances. According to both faith and reason,
the dignity of the person cannot be reduced to his or her faculties or
abilities, and thus it is not diminished when the person is weak, disabled
or in need of help".
Following the Marian prayer Benedict XVI noted how he is currently
"following the delicate situation in the dear nation of Egypt. I ask God
that that land, blessed by the presence of the Holy Family, may rediscover
tranquillity and peaceful coexistence, in a shared commitment for the common
good".
ANG/ VIS
20110207 (480)
CATHOLIC UNIVERSITIES: LEAD STUDENTS TO LIGHT OF THE WORLD
VATICAN CITY, 7 FEB 2011 (VIS) - At midday today the Holy Father received
participants in the plenary assembly of the Congregation for Catholic
Education.
In his address to the group the Pope noted that "the common denominator of
the topics you are examining over these days is education and formation,
which today represent one of the most urgent challenges the Church and her
institutions are called to face. Educational work seems to be becoming ever
more arduous because, in a culture which all too often makes relativism its
creed, the light of truth is lacking. Indeed, it is considered dangerous
even to speak about truth, thus instilling doubt about the basic values of
individual and community life".
The Holy Father went on to recall how the dicastery was founded by
Benedict XV in 1915. "For nearly a hundred years", he said, "it has been
doing its important work serving the various kinds of Catholic formative
institute", such as the seminary, which "is one of the most important for
the life of the Church and thus needs educational projects which take
account of the abovementioned [cultural] context".
Benedict XVI then remarked on the fact that the participants in the
plenary will be studying a draft document on "The internet and formation in
seminaries". The internet, he said, "with the necessary discernment to
ensure it is used intelligently and prudently, can be a useful tool, not
only for the studies but also for the pastoral work of future priests in
various ecclesial fields, such as evangelisation, missionary activity,
catechesis, educational projects, and administration of institutions. Here
too, the presence of well-prepared formators is of vital importance, as they
act as faithful guides accompanying candidates to the priesthood in the
correct and positive use of the information media.
"This year", he added, "marks the seventieth anniversary of the Pontifical
Work for Priestly Vocations, established by the Venerable Pius XII to favour
collaboration between the Holy See and the local Churches in the vital task
of promoting vocations to the ordained ministry. This anniversary can be an
opportunity to understand and take advantage of the most important
vocational initiatives being promoted in the local Churches. It is important
... to insist more clearly on the nature of priestly ministry, characterised
by its specific configuration to Christ, something which intrinsically
distinguishes it from the other faithful and places it at their service".
The Pope also commented on the fact that the participants have begun a
revision of the Apostolic Constitution "Sapientia christiana" on
ecclesiastical universities and faculties. "One sector meriting particular
attention is that of theology", he said. "It is vital for theology to remain
closely linked to individual and community prayer, especially liturgical
prayer".
"Catholic universities, with their highly specific identity and their
openness to the 'totality' of human beings, can do precious work to promote
the unity of knowledge, guiding students and teachers towards the Light of
the world", he said.
The Holy Father concluded his remarks by underlining "the educational role
of the teaching of Catholic religion as an academic discipline in
interdisciplinary dialogue with others. It contributes, indeed, not only to
the integral development of the student, but also to an understanding of
others, to comprehension and mutual respect. To reach these goals,
particular attention must be paid to the education of directors and
formators, not only from a professional, but also from a religious and
spiritual standpoint so that, through coherent lifestyle and personal
involvement, the presence of Christian educators may become an expression of
love and a witness of truth".
AC/ VIS
20110207 (610)
AUDIENCES
VATICAN CITY, 7 FEB 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate
audiences four prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the
Philippines on their "ad limina" visit:
- Archbishop Onesimo C. Gordoncillo of Capiz.
- Bishop Crispin B. Varquez of Borongan.
- Bishop Isabelo C. Abarquez of Calbayog.
- Bishop Filomeno G. Bactol of Naval.
On Saturday 5 February he received in audience Cardinal Marc Ouellet
P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
AL:AP/ VIS 20110207
(80)
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
VATICAN CITY, 7 FEB 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Linus Lee
Seong-hyo, professor and director of the Suvon Centre for Academic Research,
as auxiliary of Suwon (area 5,371, population 7,146,120, Catholics 718,638,
priests 417, religious 1,604), Korea. The bishop-elect was born in Gi-dong
Paldal-gu, Korea in 1957 and ordained a priest in 1992.
On Saturday 5 February it was made public that he:
- Appointed Bishop Janusz Kaleta as bishop of Karaganda (area ,711,300
population 3,440,500, Catholics 30,575, priests 16, religious 40),
Kazakhstan. At the same time, Bishop Kaleta will retain, "donec aliter
provideatur", his current office of apostolic administrator of Atyrau,
Kazakhstan. He succeeds Bishop Jan Pawel Lenga M.I.C., whose resignation
from the pastoral care of Karaganda the Holy Father accepted, in accordance
with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.
- Appointed Bishop Athanasius Schneider O.R.C., auxiliary of Karaganda,
Kazakhstan, as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Mary Most Holy in Astana
(area 576,400, population 4,000,000, Catholics 78,000, priests 41, religious
92), Kazakhstan.
NEA:NER:RE/ VIS 20110207
(180)
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