Subject: VISnews 110915
Organization: VIS - Ufficio Stampa della Santa Sede
From: Vatican Information Service - Eng - txt
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
TWENTY FIRST YEAR - N. 154
ENGLISH
THURSDAY, 15 SEPTEMBER 2011
SUMMARY:
- Bishops Must Set an Example through Sanctity of Life
- Benedict XVI Visits an Exhibition of His Written Works
- Other Pontifical Acts
___________________________________________________________
BISHOPS MUST SET AN EXAMPLE THROUGH SANCTITY OF LIFE
VATICAN CITY, 15 SEP 2011 (VIS) - Today in Castelgandolfo the Holy Father
received a group of newly consecrated bishops who are currently
participating in a meeting organised by the Congregation for Bishops. For
the last ten years the congregation has been inviting new bishops to make a
pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Peter in order to reflect on the main
responsibilities of episcopal ministry.
"You are invited", the Pope told the group "to renew your profession of
faith and your trusting adherence to Jesus Christ over the tomb of the
Prince of the Apostles, showing the same impulse of love as Peter himself
and strengthening your ties of communion with his Successor and with your
brother bishops".
In this context Benedict XVI explained that "the bishop ... is not alone,
he is part of that 'corpus episcoporum' which, joining us to Christ, has
been handed down from the Apostles' time to our own". He encouraged the
prelates to live every day in episcopal fraternity, working in communion
with the Pope and their brother bishops, while "seeking to cultivate
friendship with them and with your priests".
The Holy Father then turned his attention to the importance of bishops
accepting "the charisms which the Spirit arouses for the edification of the
Church", especially among the faithful. "Bishops have the task of watching
and working to ensure that the baptised increase in grace, in accordance
with the charisms the Holy Spirit causes to arise in their hearts and
communities", he said.
"The fundamental gift you are called to cherish in the faithful entrusted
to your pastoral care is that of divine filiation; in other words, the fact
that everyone participates in Trinitarian communion. Baptism, which makes
men and women 'children in the Son' and members of the Church, is the root
and source of all other charismatic gifts. Through your ministry of
sanctification, you educate the faithful to participate with increasing
intensity in the priestly, prophetic and regal office of Christ, helping
them to build the Church, actively and responsibly, according to the gifts
they have received from God.
"We must", the Pope added, "always bear in mind the fact that the gifts of
the Spirit - be they extraordinary or simple and humble - are always given
freely for the edification of all. The bishop, as a visible sign of the
unity of his particular Church, has the duty of unifying and harmonising the
charismatic diversity of ecclesial unity, favouring reciprocity between the
hierarchical and the baptismal priesthood".
The Holy Father invited bishops "to accept charisms gratefully, for the
sanctification of the Church and the vitality of the apostolate. This
acceptance and this gratitude ... are inseparable from discernment, which is
part of the bishop's mission. Vatican Council II said as much when it gave
pastoral ministry the task of judging the genuineness of charisms and their
proper use, not extinguishing the Spirit but testing and retaining what is
good. Therefore, it must always be clear that no charism can dispense from
deferring and submitting to the pastors of the Church".
Episcopal ministry "requires the bishop to nourish his own spiritual life
with care" because, as the Apostolic Exhortation "Pastores gregis" says, "he
becomes a 'father' precisely because he is fully a 'son' of the Church. ...
These two inseparable aspects call him to grow as son and as pastor as he
follows Christ, in order that his personal sanctity may be an expression of
the objective sanctity he received through episcopal consecration".
The Holy Father concluded: "The sanctity of your lives and your pastoral
charity will be an example and support to your priests, ... who are also
called to build the community with their gifts, charisms and the witness of
their lives, so that the choral communion of the Church may bear witness to
Jesus Christ, that the world may believe".
AC/ VIS 20110915 (660)
BENEDICT XVI VISITS AN EXHIBITION OF HIS WRITTEN WORKS
VATICAN CITY, 15 SEP 2011 (VIS) - This morning in the Swiss Hall of the
Apostolic Palace at Castelgandolfo, Benedict XVI attended an exhibition
arranged by the German publisher Herder and the Vatican Publishing House.
The exhibition, which has been organised for his forthcoming apostolic trip
to Germany, brings together the various language editions of the works of
Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI, some 600 volumes in all including original
works and translations.
"I thank you for your efforts and commitment in seeking to make the works
I have written known to the world, as I prepare for my apostolic trip to
Germany. For me, that journey will also be a moment to reflect upon what,
through my ministry, I can do for the world and the Church", said the Pope
in his remarks. "I am moved and slightly astounded to see the amount of
books I have created. My hope is that the words they contain may not just
come and go, but that they help men and women to find their way".
The Holy Father also thanked the people involved in preparing his works
for publication. "The author does his part and enjoys the fame, the others
remain behind the scenes and work without appearing but, in the silence, all
are present. I feel truly obliged, at this time, to express my thanks for
all of this".
.../ VIS 20110915
(240)
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
VATICAN CITY, 15 SEP 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary of the diocese of
Pelplin, Poland, presented by Bishop Piotr Krupa, upon having reached the
age limit.
- Appointed Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza, apostolic nuncio to Ireland, as
apostolic nuncio to the Czech Republic.
RE/ VIS 20110915
(60)
_____________________________________________
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)
|
