Subject: VISnews 110613
Organization: VIS - Ufficio Stampa della Santa Sede
From: Vatican Information Service - Eng - txt
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
TWENTY FIRST YEAR - N. 110
ENGLISH
MONDAY, 13 JUNE 2011
SUMMARY: 11-13 MAY
- Benedict XVI to Gypsy Community: You Are in the Church!
- Bicentennial of Birth of St. John Nepomucene Neumann
- Audiences
- Acts Concerning the Oriental Churches
- The Church Was Catholic from the Very First Moment
- Pentecost Was the Baptism of the Church
- Pope Presides Meeting of Heads of Dicastery of Roman Curia
- Other Pontifical Acts
___________________________________________________________
BENEDICT XVI TO GYPSY COMMUNITY: YOU ARE IN THE CHURCH!
VATICAN CITY, 11 JUN 2011 (VIS) - This afternoon the Holy Father received
two thousand Gypsies from various European countries. They are participating
in a pilgrimage to Rome, representing the 12 million Gypsies scattered
across the continent.
At the beginning of his address the Pope recalled Servant of God Paul VI's
words to Gypsies in 1965: "'You are in the heart of the Church!' I repeat
that today with affection: You are in the Church!".
Noting that this year marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of the
Gypsy Blessed Ceferino Gimenez Malla and the 75th anniversary of his
martyrdom, Benedict XVI told the group that Blessed Malla "invites you to
follow his example and he shows you the way: dedication to prayer,
particularly the rosary - which he always carried in his pocket - love for
the Eucharist and other Sacraments, keeping the Commandments, honesty,
charity, and generosity towards others, especially the poor. This will make
you strong to face the risks that sects and other groups place upon your
communion with the Church".
"Your history", he continued, "is complex and, in some periods, sorrowful.
... You have been left without a home and have come to consider the entire
continent as your home. ... Unfortunately, down the ages you have known the
bitter taste of rejection and, at times, persecution as happened during
World War II: thousands of men, women, and children were brutally murdered
in the concentration camps. It was ... an episode still largely
unrecognised".
The Pope stated that "the European conscience must not forget such pain.
Your people must never again be the object of abuse, rejection, or disdain!
For your part, always seek justice, legality, and reconciliation and try not
to be the cause of others' suffering".
"I invite you", he exclaimed, "to write together a new page of history for
your people and for Europe. The search for worthy living conditions, jobs,
and also education for your children are the basis upon which to build that
integration from which you and society as a whole will benefit. Offer your
active and sincere cooperation so that your families may be worthily
established in the social fabric of Europe".
Benedict XVI concluded by telling his audience that they are also "called
to participate actively in the Church's mission of evangelisation, promoting
pastoral outreach in communities". In this context he emphasised how
"priests, deacons, and consecrated persons who pertain to your ethnic groups
are a gift from God and a positive sign of the dialogue between the local
Churches and your peoples, which must be supported and developed. Be
confident and listen to these brothers and sisters. With them offer a
coherent and joyful message of God's love for the Gypsy people and all
peoples. The Church desires that all men and women recognise that they are
children of the same Father and members of the same human family".
AC/ VIS
20110613 (500)
BICENTENNIAL OF BIRTH OF ST. JOHN NEPOMUCENE NEUMANN
VATICAN CITY, 11 JUN 2011 (VIS) - Made public today was a letter, written in
Latin and dated 8 May, in which the Holy Father names Cardinal Justin
Francis Rigali, archbishop of Philadelphia, U.S.A., as his special envoy to
the bicentennial celebrations of the birth of St. John Neumann, C.Ss.R.,
which will take place in Prachatitz, Czech Republic, on 18 June.
The names of the members of the delegation accompanying Cardinal Rigali
were also made public: Fr. Zdenek Mares, dean of the Chapter of the
Cathedral of St. Nicholas, and Fr. Vlastimil Krocil, member of the Chapter
of the Cathedral of St. Nicholas and administrator in Veseli nad Luznici.
BXVI-LETTER/ VIS 20110613
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AUDIENCES
VATICAN CITY, 11 JUN 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate
audiences:
- Cardinal Marc Ouellet P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops,
- Archbishop Joseph Augustine Charanakunnel of Raipur, India, on his "ad
limina" visit.
- Mario Juan Bosco Cayota Zappettini, ambassador of Uruguay, accompanied by
his wife, on his farewell visit.
AP:AL/ VIS 20110613
(60)
ACTS CONCERNING THE ORIENTAL CHURCHES
VATICAN CITY, 11 JUN 2011 (VIS) - His Beatitude Lucian Muresan, major
archbishop of Fagaras and Alba Julia of the Romanians, Romania, with the
consent of the Synod of the Romanian Greek-Catholic Church and after having
informed the Apostolic See, has, in accordance with canon 85 para. 2 of the
Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, transferred Bishop Vasile Bizau of
the Major Archbishopric Curia, to the eparchy of Maramures of the Romanians
(Catholics 152,383, priests 143, religious 3), Romania.
NA/ VIS
20110613 (90)
THE CHURCH WAS CATHOLIC FROM THE VERY FIRST MOMENT
VATICAN CITY, 12 JUN 2011 (VIS) - At 9.30 a.m. today, the Feast of
Pentecost, the Holy Father presided at Mass in the Vatican Basilica.
In his homily the Holy Father said that "the Spirit which created all
things, and the Holy Spirit which Christ caused to descend from the Father
upon the community of disciples, are one and the same. Creation and
redemption are mutually intertwined and constitute a single mystery of love
and salvation".
"The Holy Spirit", he went on, "is first and foremost the Spirit of
creation; and so Pentecost is the feast of creation. For we Christians the
world is the result of an act of love by God, Who made all things. ... Thus
God is not the Absolute Other, indescribable and obscure, God reveals
Himself, He has a face, God is reason, God is will, God is love, God is
beauty".
Benedict XVI explained that "the Holy Spirit is the One Who enables us to
recognise ourselves in Christ the Lord, and causes us to pronounce the
Church's profession of faith: 'Jesus is Lord'". In this context, he also
pointed out that "by reciting the Creed we enter into the mystery of the
Pentecost. ... The Creed brings us together from all over the world. Through
the Holy Spirit, it ensures we understand one another though speaking
different languages. Through faith, hope and love, the new community of the
Church of God is formed".
"The Holy Spirit animates the Church", the Pope said. "The Church is not
the result of human will, of reflection, of man's abilities or his capacity
for organisation. If this were the case she would have passed out of
existence a long time ago, just as all human things pass. She is, rather,
the Body of Christ animated by the Holy Spirit".
"The Church was catholic from the first moment of her existence. Her
universality is not the result of the subsequent inclusion of different
communities: from the first instant the Holy Spirit created her as the
Church of all peoples. She embraces the entire world, crossing frontiers of
race, class and nation, breaking down barriers and uniting mankind in the
proclamation of the One and Triune God. From her beginnings, the Church was
one, catholic and apostolic. This is her true nature and as such she must be
recognised. She is holy, not thanks to any capacity of her members, but
because God Himself, with His Spirit, continuously creates, purifies and
sanctifies her".
Benedict XVI concluded by quoting from today's Gospel: "'the disciples
rejoiced when they saw the Lord'. ... Today, at Pentecost, this phrase also
includes us, because in the faith we can see Him, in the faith He comes
among us and shows us His hands and side, and we too can rejoice. Thus we
pray: Lord show Yourself. Give us the gift of Your presence that we might
have the greatest gift: Your joy!"
HML/ VIS
20110613 (500)
PENTECOST WAS THE BAPTISM OF THE CHURCH
VATICAN CITY, 12 JUN 2011 (VIS) - At midday today, following this morning's
celebration of the Eucharist in the Vatican Basilica for the Feast of
Pentecost, the Pope appeared at the window of his study to pray the Regina
Coeli with faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square.
"The Paschal Mystery - the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ, and
His Ascension to heaven - reaches fulfilment in the powerful effusion of the
Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, who were gathered with Mary ... and the other
disciples. This was the 'Baptism' of the Church", he said.
"The voice of God makes the human language of the Apostles divine, and
they become capable of 'polyphonically' proclaiming the one Divine Word. The
breath of the Holy Spirit fills the universe, it generates faith, it draws
people to truth, it prepares the way for unity", the Pope explained. He then
went on to quote some words written by Blessed Antonio Rosmini: "On the day
of Pentecost God promulgated ... His law of charity, writing it by means of
the Holy Spirit, not upon tablets of stone, but in the hearts of the
Apostles and, through the Apostles, communicating it to the whole Church".
The Holy Spirit, "Who is the Lord and the Giver of Life, ... has the power
to sanctify, to remove divisions, to dissolve the confusion caused by sin.
... The Spirit distributes divine goodness and supports living beings that
they may act in accordance with that goodness. As intelligible Light, it
gives meaning to prayer, invigorates the mission of evangelisation, sets
aflame the hearts of those who hear the happy message, and inspires
Christian art and liturgical music. ... It creates faith within us at the
moment of our Baptism and allows us to live as conscious and responsible
children of God, in keeping with the image of the Only-begotten Son".
After praying the Regina Coeli, the Pope recalled that the priest and
martyr Alois Andritzki, killed by the Nazis in 1943, will be beatified
tomorrow in the German city of Dresden. He was a "heroic witness of the
faith who joins the ranks of those who gave their lives in Christ's name in
the concentration camps. On this day of Pentecost I would like to entrust
the cause of peace in the world to their intercession. May the Holy Spirit
inspire heroic intentions of peace and support the commitment to see them
through to fulfilment, that dialogue may triumph over arms and respect for
man's dignity may prevail over self-interest. May the Spirit, the bond of
communion, cure hearts warped by selfishness and help the human family to
rediscover and protect its fundamental unity".
Benedict XVI also mentioned the fact that 14 June marks World Blood Donor
Day, which involves "millions of people who silently contribute to helping
their brothers and sisters in difficulties. I send a cordial greeting to all
blood donors and invite young people to follow their example".
Finally, the Pope greeted a group of people currently meeting in Pistoia,
Italy, for the Catholic Information Forum for the Protection of Creation,
organised by the 'Greenaccord' association on the theme: Man's shared space
in the creation. "I encourage all journalists working to safeguard the
environment", he said.
ANG/ VIS
20110613 (550)
POPE PRESIDES MEETING OF HEADS OF DICASTERY OF ROMAN CURIA
VATICAN CITY, 13 JUN 2011 (VIS) - This morning in the Bologna Hall of the
Vatican Apostolic Palace, Benedict XVI presided at a meeting of heads of
dicasteries of the Roman Curia.
.../ VIS
20110613 (50)
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
VATICAN CITY, 13 JUN 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Fr. Thomas Aquino Manyo Maeda, secretary general of the
Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan, as bishop of Hiroshima (area 31,818,
population 7,601,000, Catholics 20,334, priests 73, religious 213), Japan.
The bishop-elect was born in Tsuwasaki, Japan in 1949 and ordained a priest
in 1975. He succeeds Bishop Joseph Atsumi Misue, whose resignation from the
pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having
reached the age limit.
- Appointed Fr. Andrew Peter Wypych of the clergy of the archdiocese of
Chicago, U.S.A., pastor of the parish of St. Francis Borgia, and Fr. Alberto
Rojas, also of the clergy of the archdiocese of Chicago, pastor of the
parish of the Good Shepherd, as auxiliaries of the same archdiocese (area
3,654, population 6,111,000, Catholics 2,383,000, priests 1,692, permanent
deacons 643, religious 3,128). Bishop-elect Wypych was born in Kazimierza,
Poland in 1954 and ordained a priest in 1979. Bishop-elect Rojas was born in
El Zapote de la Labor, Mexico in 1965 and ordained a priest in 1997.
On Saturday 11 June it was made public that the Holy Father accepted:
- The resignation from the office of auxiliary of the patriarchal eparchy
of Beirut of the Armenians, Lebanon, presented by Bishop Vartan Achkarian,
C.A.M., in accordance with canon 201 para. 1 of the Code of Canons of the
Eastern Churches.
- The resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Kayes, Mali,
presented by Bishop Joseph Dao, upon having reached the age limit.
NER:RE:NEA/ VIS 20110613
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