and motherhood! Openness to life is a sign of openness to the future,
confidence in the future, just as respect for the natural moral law frees
people, rather than demeaning them! The good of the family is also the good
of the Church. I would like to repeat something I have said in the past:
'the edification of each individual Christian family fits into the context
of the larger family of the Church which supports it and carries it with her
... And the Church is reciprocally built up by the family, a "small
Subject: VISnews 110606
Organization: VIS - Ufficio Stampa della Santa Sede
From: Vatican Information Service - Eng - txt
domestic church"'. Let us pray to the Lord, that families may come more and
more to be small churches and that ecclesial communities may take on more
and more the quality of a family!".
PV-CROATIA/ VIS 20110604
(920)
POPE ENTRUSTS CROATIAN FAMILIES TO MARY
VATICAN CITY, 5 JUN 2011 (VIS) - After Holy Mass had ended, Benedict XVI
prayed the Regina Coeli with the faithful gathered in Zagreb's Hippodrome.
"I have come here today to confirm you in your faith", the Pope said.
"This is the gift I bring you: the faith of Peter, the faith of the Church!
But at the same time you give me this same faith, enriched with your
experience, your joys and sufferings. In a special way you give me your
faith lived in the family, so that I may keep it in the patrimony of the
whole Church. I know that you find great strength in Mary, the Mother of
Christ and our Mother. So we now turn to her, spiritually oriented towards
her Shrine at Marija Bistrica, and we entrust to her all Croatian families:
parents, children, grandparents; the journey of husband and wife, the task
of education, professional activities and home-making. We invoke her
intercession that public institutions may always sustain the family, the
basic cell of the social fabric".
The Holy Father also entrusted the celebration of the VII World Day of
Families, which will be celebrated in Milan, Italy next year to the Virgin.
He then noted that the Cathedral of Burgo de Osma, Spain was today
celebrating the beatification of Juan de Palafox y Mendoza, "an outstanding
bishop of seventeenth-century Mexico and Spain. He was a man of vast
culture and profound spirituality and a great reformer, a tireless pastor
and defender of the Indians. May the Lord grant to his Church many holy
pastors like Blessed Juan".
At the end of the Regina Coeli, the Pope returned by Popemobile to the
apostolic nunciature, where he had lunch.
PV-CROATIA/ VIS 20110604
(280)
BLESSED STEPINAC, VALIANT PASTOR, EXAMPLE OF CHRISTIAN FORTITUDE
VATICAN CITY, 5 JUN 2011 (VIS) - After taking his leave of the apostolic
nunciature, the Pope travelled to Zagreb's Cathedral, dedicated to the
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and to St. Stephen I of Hungary, where
he celebrated vespers with the bishops, priests, religious, and seminarians.
"This evening", the Holy Father said in his address, "we gather for a
devoted and prayerful remembrance of Blessed Aloysius Viktor Stepinac, a
fearless pastor and an example of apostolic zeal and Christian fortitude,
whose heroic life continues today to illuminate the faithful of the Dioceses
of Croatia, sustaining the faith and life of the Church in this land. The
merits of this unforgettable bishop are derived essentially from his faith:
in his life, he always had his gaze fixed on Jesus, to whom he was always
conformed, to the point of becoming a living image of Christ, and of Christ
suffering. Precisely because of his strong Christian conscience, he knew how
to resist every form of totalitarianism, becoming, in a time of Nazi and
Fascist dictatorship, a defender of the Jews, the Orthodox, and of all the
persecuted, and then, in the age of communism, an advocate for his own
faithful, especially for the many persecuted and murdered priests. Yes, he
became an advocate for God on this earth, since he tenaciously defended the
truth and man's right to live with God".
"Blessed Aloysius Viktor Stepinac responded with his priesthood, with the
episcopate, with the sacrifice of his life: a unique 'yes' united to that of
Christ. His martyrdom signals the culmination of the violence perpetrated
against the Church during the terrible period of communist persecution.
Croatian Catholics, and in particular the clergy, were objects of oppression
and systematic abuse, aimed at destroying the Catholic Church, beginning
with its highest Authority in this place. That particularly difficult period
was characterized by a generation of bishops, priests, and religious who
were ready to die rather than to betray Christ, the Church and the Pope. The
people saw that the priests never lost faith, hope, and charity, and thus
they remained always united. This unity explains what is humanly
inexplicable: that such a hardened regime could not make the Church bow
down".
Benedict XVI asserted that "today too, the Church in Croatia is called to
be united, to meet the challenges of a changed social context, identifying
with missionary fervor new ways of evangelization, especially in the service
of younger generations". In this sense he referred to the importance "above
all for bishops priests to strive for reconciliation among separated
Christians and between Christians and Muslims, following the footsteps of
Christ who is our peace. Regarding your priests, do not neglect to offer
them clear spiritual, doctrinal and pastoral directions. While the Christian
community admits legitimate diversity within itself, it cannot render
faithful witness to the Lord except in the communion of its members. This
requires of you the service of vigilance, offered in dialogue and with great
love, but also with clarity and firmness".
While recalling that Blessed Stepinac had said that "one of the greatest
evils of our time is mediocrity in the questions of faith", the Pope noted
that "the Church's moral teaching, often misunderstood today, cannot be
detached from the Gospel. It falls particularly to the bishops to propose it
authoritatively to the faithful, in order to assist them in evaluating their
personal responsibilities and in harmonizing their moral choices with the
demands of the faith".
The Holy Father urged the priests not to lose heart in spite of the
scarcity of vocations and to "remain vigilant in prayer and in your
spiritual lives, in order to perform your ministry fruitfully: to teach, to
sanctify and to guide all those who are entrusted to your care. Welcome with
magnanimity those who knock at the door of your heart ... Persevere in
communion with your bishops and in mutual cooperation. Nourish your
commitment at the life-giving waters of Scripture, the Sacraments, the
constant praise of God, always open and docile to the actions of the Holy
Spirit. You will thus be effective workers in the new evangelization, which
you are called to realize together with the laity, in a coordinated way and
without confusing what pertains to ordained ministry with what belongs to
the universal priesthood of all the baptized. Keep close to your hearts the
promotion of vocations to the priesthood".
He assured the consecrated men and women in attendance that "the Church
expects much" of them. "May God himself", he said, "be your only treasure.
Let yourselves be formed by him, thus making visible to the men and women of
today a thirst for true values: the holiness, truth, and love of our
heavenly Father".
Finally, he asked young people preparing for the priesthood or the
consecrated life, that their "hearts always be ready. May the heroic
testimony of Blessed Aloysius Viktor Stepinac inspire a renewal of vocations
among the young people of Croatia".
At the end of the celebration, Benedict XVI prayed at the tomb of Blessed
Stepinac.
PV-CROATIA/ VIS 20110606
(830)
BENEDICT XVI BIDS FAREWELL TO CROATIA
VATICAN CITY, 5 JUN 2011 (VIS) - After visiting the residence of Cardinal
Josip Bozanic, archbishop of Zagreb, where he signed the archbishopric's
Golden Book and met with the archdiocese's auxiliary bishops, the Holy
Father travelled to Pleso International Airport to take his leave of the
Croatian authorities, concluding his apostolic visit to Croatia.
On arriving at the airport, he was received by Mr. Ivo Josipovic,
president of the Republic of Croatia, but due to a strong storm neither the
Holy Father nor the president could give the addresses they had planned. The
pontiff's plane left 45 minutes late. Following is the text of the address
that Benedict XVI would have given:
"My visit to your country is drawing to a close. Though brief, it has been
graced with encounters that have made me feel part of you, and part of your
history, and they have given me the opportunity to confirm the faith of the
pilgrim Church in Croatia in Jesus Christ, our only Savior. That faith,
which came to you through the brave witness of many of your brothers and
sisters, some of whom did not hesitate to die for Christ and his Gospel, I
have found to be alive and sincere. Let us give thanks to God for the
abundant gifts of grace which he dispenses generously on the daily path of
his sons and daughters! I wish to thank everyone who helped in the planning
and the smooth progress of my visit.
"These days have left a deep impression on my mind and my heart. The
people's participation in this morning's celebration of Mass on the occasion
of the National Day of Croatian Catholic Families was unanimous and
heartfelt. In yesterday's gathering at the National Theatre I was able to
share some thoughts with representatives of civil society and religious
communities. The young people present at the prayer vigil showed me the
radiant face of Croatia turned towards the future, illumined by a sincere
faith, like the flame of a precious lamp handed down by our forebears for us
to guard and replenish along the way. The prayer at the tomb of Blessed
Cardinal Stepinac reminded us in a special way of all who have suffered -
and still suffer today - on account of their faith in the Gospel. Let us
continue to invoke the intercession of this fearless witness of the Risen
Lord, so that every sacrifice, every trial offered to God out of love for
him and for our neighbor, may be like the grain of wheat fallen to the
ground that dies so as to bear fruit.
"It was a joy for me to experience today the vitality of your people's
long-standing Christian tradition. I could sense it in the warm welcome
given to me by the people, just as they welcomed Blessed John Paul II on his
three visits, recognizing them as visits from the Successor of Peter who
comes to confirm his brothers and sisters in the faith. This ecclesial
vitality, which must be maintained and strengthened, will surely have
positive results for society as a whole, thanks to the cooperation between
the Church and public institutions, which it is hoped will always be serene
and fruitful. At a time when stable and trustworthy reference points seem to
be lacking, Christians united 'together in Christ', the cornerstone, can
continue to act as the 'soul' of the Nation, helping it to develop and to
make progress.
"As I leave for Rome, I place all of you in the hands of God. May he who
is infinite providence, the giver of all good things, always bless the land
and the people of Croatia; may he grant peace and prosperity to every
family. May the Virgin Mary watch over the historic journey of your homeland
and of the whole of Europe. And let my Apostolic Blessing, which I offer you
with great affection, accompany you on your way".
PV-CROATIA/ VIS 20110606
(650)
CONCLUSION OF FIRST PHASE OF APOSTOLIC VISIT IN IRELAND
VATICAN CITY, 6 JUN 2011 (VIS) - Following is the communique issued today at
the conclusion of the first phase of the apostolic visitation in Ireland.
"In accordance with the time-scale indicated in the communique of 12
November 2010, the first phase of the Apostolic Visitation announced by the
Holy Father in his Pastoral Letter to the Catholics of Ireland, in order to
'assist the local Church on her path of renewal' (19 March 2010, par. 14),
has now been concluded.
As indicated in the above-mentioned communique, the visitators set out to
examine:
a) 'whether the mutual relationship of the various components of the local
Church, seminaries and religious communities is now in place, in order to
sustain them on the path of profound spiritual renewal already being pursued
by the Church in Ireland';
b) 'the effectiveness of the present processes used in responding to cases
of abuse';
c) 'the current forms of assistance provided to the victims'.
The visitation to the four metropolitan archdioceses, the seminaries and
the religious institutes has been very useful, thanks to the cooperation of
everyone who took part in this initiative. The Holy Father's sincere thanks
goes to them, especially to the four Metropolitan Archbishops.
The visitators' reports have been handed in to the competent dicasteries
of the Holy See. Individually, and in the context of interdicasterial
meetings specially convened for the purpose and conducted in a constructive
atmosphere, the dicasteries in question have carried out an initial
evaluation, from which it emerges that:
1) As far as the Irish dioceses and seminaries are concerned, the
Congregation for Bishops and the Congregation for Catholic Education do not
envisage further Apostolic Visitations. Having encountered various
organizations and individuals, including the suffragan bishops, the
visitators have been able to arrive at a sufficiently complete picture of
the situation of the Irish Church with respect to the areas under
investigation.
2) The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of
Apostolic Life has analyzed the responses to the questionnaires that were
sent to all institutes with religious houses in Ireland. In accordance with
the method previously adopted, visits 'in loco' to some religious
communities will follow.
3) In the coming months, the competent dicasteries will give indications
to the bishops for the spiritual renewal of the dioceses and seminaries, and
the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of
Apostolic Life will do likewise for the religious institutes.
4) By early 2012, the Holy See will publish an overall synthesis
indicating the results and the future prospects highlighted by the
Visitation, not least with a view to the nationwide mission announced in the
above-mentioned letter of the Holy Father".
OP/ VIS 20110606
(440)
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
VATICAN CITY, 6 JUN 2011 (VIS) - Today the Holy Father appointed Archbishop
Alberto Bottari de Castello, apostolic nuncio to Japan, as apostolic nuncio
to Hungary.
On Saturday, 4 June, the Holy Father appointed:
- Fr. Hugh Gilbert, O.S.B., abbot of Pluscarden Abbey, as bishop of
Aberdeen (area 29,068, population 718,000, Catholics 18,600, priests 49,
permanent deacons 11, religious 45), Scotland. The bishop-elect was born in
1952 in Emsworth Hants, England and was ordained a priest in 1982. He
succeeds Bishop Peter Anthony Moran, whose resignation from the pastoral
care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the
age limit.
- Fr. Crispin Ojeda Marquez, pastor of Corazon Inmaculada de Maria Parish
in the Diocese of Colima, as auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese of Mexico
(area 1,429, population 8,852,000, Catholics 7,909,000, priests 1,797,
permanent deacons, 128, religious 7,345), Mexico. The bishop-elect was born
in 1952 in Tecoman, Mexico and was ordained as a priest in 1979.
- Fr. Efrain Mendoza Cruz, rector of the Major Seminary of Tlalnepantla,
Mexico, as auxiliary bishop of that same archdiocese (area 682, population
3,980,000, Catholics 3,184,000, priests 342, permanent deacons 11, religious
432), Mexico. The bishop-elect was born in 1959 in Tlalnepantla and was
ordained as a priest in 1988.
- Cardinal Carlos Amigo Vallejo, archbishop emeritus of Seville, Spain, as
his special envoy to the closing celebrations of the Jubilee Year of the
500th anniversary of the canonical erection of the first ecclesiastical
circumscriptions of the Americas: Santo Domingo y La Vega, Dominican
Republic and San Juan de Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico, scheduled for 7-8 August
2011.
NN:NER:NEA:NA/ VIS 20110606 (260)
_______________________________________
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://press.catholica.va/news_services/press/vis/englinde.php
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)
|
