Subject: VISnews 110711   
   Organization: VIS - Ufficio Stampa della Santa Sede   
   From: Vatican Information Service - Eng - txt    
      
   VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE   
      
   TWENTY FIRST YEAR - N. 128   
   ENGLISH   
   MONDAY, 11 JULY 2011   
      
   SUMMARY: 9 - 11 JULY   
      
   - God Attracts Us with the Goodness of His Incarnate Son   
   - Pope Speaks of Maritime World and of Respect for Nature   
   - Other Pontifical Acts   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
   GOD ATTRACTS US WITH THE GOODNESS OF HIS INCARNATE SON   
      
   VATICAN CITY, 10 JUL 2011 (VIS) - At midday today Benedict XVI appeared at   
   the balcony overlooking the central courtyard of the Apostolic Palace at   
   Castelgandolfo to pray the Angelus with faithful gathered there. The Pope is   
   spending the summer months at his residence in Castelgandolfo.   
      
     The Pope focused his remarks on today's Gospel in which Jesus addresses   
   the multitude with the famous parable of the sower. "In some way this is an   
   'autobiographical' episode", he said, "because it reflects Jesus' own   
   experience as a preacher. He identifies Himself with the sower who, while   
   spreading the good seed of God's Word, becomes aware of the differing   
   effects it produces depending on the way it is accepted. There are those who   
   listen superficially but fail to welcome it; those who accept it immediately   
   but have no constancy and lose everything; those who are overwhelmed by the   
   cares and lures of the world, and those who receive and absorb it like good   
   soil, for them the Word brings forth abundant fruit.   
      
     "Yet this Gospel narrative also highlights the 'method' of Jesus'   
   preaching; in other words, His use of parables", the Holy Father added. "His   
   disciples ask Him: 'why do you speak to them in parables?' Jesus replies by   
   distinguishing between the disciples and the crowds: to the former, who have   
   already chosen to follow Him, He can speak openly of the Kingdom of God, but   
   to others He has to use parables in order to simulate a decision, a   
   conversion of heart. This is because parables, by their nature, require an   
   effort of interpretation, they appeal to our intelligence but also to our   
   freedom. ... In the final analysis the true 'Parable' of God is Jesus   
   Himself ... Who, in human form, both hides and reveals divinity. Thus, God   
   does not force us to believe in Him; rather, He draws us to Him with the   
   truth and goodness of His incarnate Son. Love, in fact, always respects   
   freedom".   
      
     The Holy Father concluded his remarks by recalling that tomorrow is the   
   Feast of St. Benedict, abbot and patron of Europe. "In the light of today's   
   Gospel reading we look to him as a master of profound and persistent   
   attention to the Word of God. We must always learn from the great patriarch   
   of western monasticism to give God the place He deserves, first place,   
   offering Him our daily activities through our morning and evening prayer".   
   ANG/                                                                    VIS   
   20110711 (420)   
      
   POPE SPEAKS OF MARITIME WORLD AND OF RESPECT FOR NATURE   
      
   VATICAN CITY, 10 JUL 2011 (VIS) - After praying the Angelus at midday today   
   from the central courtyard of the Apostolic Palace at Castelgandolfo, the   
   Pope mentioned the fact that today marks the "Day of the Sea", in other   
   words "the day dedicated to the apostolate in the maritime world".   
      
     The Holy Father addressed a special greeting to "chaplains and volunteers   
   who work to being pastoral care to seafarers, fishermen and their families.   
   I also give assurances of my prayers for those seafarers who, alas, find   
   themselves as hostages of pirates", he said. "My hope is that they be   
   treated with respect and humanity, and I pray for their families that they   
   may remain strong in the faith and not lose hope of soon being reunited with   
   their loved ones".   
      
     Turning then to address French-speaking pilgrims including members of the   
   choir from the basilica of Notre-Dame de Lausanne, Switzerland, Benedict XVI   
   invited them "to draw strength from contemplating the splendour of the   
   Creation. Parents, teach your children to observe nature, to respect and   
   protect it as a magnificent gift that makes us aware of the greatness of the   
   Creator. Speaking in parables, Jesus used the language of nature to explain   
   the mysteries of the Kingdom to His disciples. May the images He used become   
   familiar to us all!"   
   ANG/                                                                    VIS   
   20110711 (230)   
      
   OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS   
      
   VATICAN CITY, 11 JUL 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father:   
      
    - Appointed Bishop Andre Gazaille, auxiliary of Montreal, Canada, as bishop   
   of Nicolet (area 3,682, population 209,066, Catholics 203,035, priests 122,   
   permanent deacons 25, religious 401), Canada. He succeeds Bishop Raymond   
   Saint-Gelais, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese   
   the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.   
      
    - Appointed Fr. Christian Lepine of the clergy of the archdiocese of   
   Montreal, Canada, pastor of the parishes of "Notre-Dame-des-Champs" and   
   "Purification-de-la-Bienheureuse-Vierge-Marie", and Fr. Thomas Dowd, also of   
   the clergy of the archdiocese of Montreal, director of the archdiocesan   
   formation service, as auxiliaries of Montreal (area 1,103, population   
   2,574,000, Catholics 1,640,000, priests 1,063, permanent deacons 100,   
   religious 4,158). Bishop-elect Lepine was born in Montreal in 1951 and   
   ordained a priest in 1983. Bishop-elect Dowd was born in Montreal in 1970   
   and ordained a priest in 2001.   
      
     On Saturday 9 July it was made public that the Holy Father appointed:   
      
    - Fr. Emmanuel Barbara O.F.M. Cap., minister provincial of the Capuchin   
   Fathers for Malta and president of the European Capuchin Conference, as   
   bishop of Malindi (area 33,254, population 539,000, Catholics 25,509,   
   priests 35, religious 74), Kenya. The bishop-elect was born in Gzira, Malta   
   in 1949 and ordained a priest in 1974.   
      
    - Cardinal Francisco Robles Ortega, archbishop of Monterrey, Mexico, as his   
   special envoy to the closing celebrations of the Jubilee Year marking the   
   375th anniversary of the discovery of the image of Our Lady of the Angeles,   
   patron of Costa Rica. The event is due to be held in the Costa Rican city of   
   Cartago on 2 August.   
   NER:RE:NEA:NA/                                                  VIS 20110711   
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