Subject: VISnews 111024
Organization: VIS - Ufficio Stampa della Santa Sede
From: Vatican Information Service - Eng - txt
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
TWENTY FIRST YEAR - N. 183
ENGLISH
MONDAY, 24 OCTOBER 2011
SUMMARY: 22 - 24 OCTOBER
- The Pope Receives Military Ordinaries
- Benedict XVI Praises the Music of Anton Bruckner
- Appointments for the Synod on New Evangelisation
- Other Pontifical Acts
- Lives of the New Saints Were Transformed by Divine Charity
- Angelus: Blessed John Paul II and Pilgrimage to Assisi
- Members of John Paul II Foundation Received by the Pope
- Holy See Calls for Reform of Global Finance
- Audiences
___________________________________________________________
THE POPE RECEIVES MILITARY ORDINARIES
VATICAN CITY, 22 OCT 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience
bishops and priests who have been participating in the sixth international
congress of military ordinaries, and in the third international training
course on human rights for military chaplains. These initiatives have been
promoted by the Congregation for Bishops and by the Pontifical Council for
Justice and Peace to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Apostolic
Constitution "Spirituali militum curae", promulgated by Blessed John Paul II
whose liturgical memory falls today.
The purpose of that Apostolic Constitution, the Pope explained, was "to
give military ordinaries the chance to foster appropriate and well-organised
pastoral care for an important part of the People of God: military men and
women, and their families. ... This involves forming Christians who possess
profound faith, who practice their religion with conviction, and who are
authentic witnesses of Christ in their own environments. To achieve this, it
is important for military bishops and chaplains to be aware of their
responsibility to announce the Gospel and administer the Sacraments wherever
the military and their families are present. ... Clearly, priests involved
in this ministry must have a solid human and spiritual formation, constant
concern for their own interior lives and, at the same time, a readiness to
listen and enter into dialogue, so as to understand the individual and joint
difficulties faced by the people entrusted to their care".
"The Church", the Pope went on, "wishes to offer the military and their
families all means of salvation, providing not just ordinary pastoral care,
but also the specific help they need to carry out their mission in a spirit
of Christian charity. The military life of a Christian must, in fact, be
seen in the light of the first and greatest of the Commandments, that of
love for God and for neighbour, because Christians in the military are
called to create a fusion whereby they can be soldiers for love, achieving
the 'ministerium pacis inter arma'.
"I am thinking in particular", he added "of soldiers who practice charity
by saving victims of earthquakes and floods, or by helping refugees, placing
their courage and skills at the service of the weakest. I am thinking of
soldiers who, at risk of their own lives, practice charity by removing mines
in areas which were once theatres of war, or soldiers on peace missions who
patrol cities and territories to ensure that their brothers do not kill one
another. There are many men and women in uniform, full of faith in Jesus,
who love truth and wish to foster peace and, as true disciples of Christ,
serve their country by defending fundamental human rights"
Benedict XVI concluded by asking those present, and the priests and
deacons who help them, to promote "a general renewal of hearts, which is a
precondition for that universal peace to which all the world aspires".
AC/ VIS
20111024 (490)
BENEDICT XVI PRAISES THE MUSIC OF ANTON BRUCKNER
VATICAN CITY, 22 OCT 2011 (VIS) - This evening in the Vatican's Paul VI
Hall, the Bavarian State Opera gave a concert in honour of Benedict XVI. The
programme included the Ninth Symphony and the "Te Deum" by Anton Bruckner,
played by the Bavarian State Orchestra and the "Audi Jugendchorakademie",
conducted respectively by Kent Nagano and Martin Steidler.
At the end of the performance the Pope rose to thank the musicians.
Listening to Bruckner's music, he said, "is like finding oneself in a great
cathedral, surrounded by its imposing structures which arouse emotion and
lift us to the heights. There is however an element that lies at the
foundations of Bruckner's music, both the symphonic and the sacred: the
simple, solid, genuine faith he conserved throughout his life".
"The great conductor Bruno Walter used to say that 'Mahler always sought
after God, while Bruckner had found Him'. The symphony we have just heard
has a very specific title: 'Dem lieben Gott' (To the Beloved God), almost as
if he wished to dedicate and entrust the last and most mature fruit of his
art to the One in Whom he had always believed, the One Who had become his
only true interlocutor in the last stage of his life", the Holy Father said.
"Bruckner asked this beloved God to let him enter His mystery, ... to let
him praise the Lord in heaven as he had on earth with his music. 'Te Deum
laudamus, Te Dominum confitemur'; this great work we have just heard -
written at one sitting then reworked over fifteen years as if reconsidering
how better to thank and praise God - sums up the faith of this great
musician", Pope Benedict concluded. "It is also a reminder for us to open
our horizons and think of eternal life, not so as to escape the present,
though burdened with problems and difficulties, but to experience it more
intensely, bringing a little light, hope and love into the reality in which
we live".
BXVI-CONCERT/ VIS 20111024
(350)
APPOINTMENTS FOR THE SYNOD ON NEW EVANGELISATION
VATICAN CITY, 22 OCT 2011 (VIS) - In view of the thirteenth Ordinary General
Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, due to take place in the Vatican from 7 to
28 October 2012 on the theme "The New Evangelisation for the Transmission of
the Christian Faith", the Holy Father appointed:
- Cardinal Donald William Wuerl, archbishop of Washington, U.S.A., as
relator general.
- Archbishop Pierre-Marie Carre, archbishop of Montpellier, France, as
special secretary.
SS/ VIS
20111024 (80)
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
VATICAN CITY, 22 OCT 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Cardinal Angelo Scola, archbishop of Milan, Italy, and Cardinal
Jean-Pierre Ricard, archbishop of Bordeaux, France, as members of the
Council of Cardinals for the Study of the Organisational and Economic
Problems of the Holy See.
- Appointed Cardinal Joachim Meisner archbishop of Cologne, Germany, as his
special envoy to celebrations marking the eighth centenary of the birth of
St. Agnes of Bohemia, due to take place in the cathedral of Prague, Czech
Republic, on 12 November.
- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of
Dhaka, Bangladesh, presented by Archbishop Paulinus Costa, upon having
reached the age limit. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Archbishop Patrick
D'Rosario C.S.C.
- Appointed Fr. Piotr Greger of the clergy of the diocese of
Bielsko-Zywiec, Poland, vice director of the St. John Cantius Theological
Institute, as auxiliary of the same diocese (area 3,000, population 770,000,
Catholics 681,000, priests 633, religious 646). The bishop-elect was born in
Tychy, Poland in 1964 and ordained a priest in 1989. He has worked as vice
pastor and pastor in parishes of the diocese of Bielsko-Zywiec, and serves
as the bishop's permanent delegate on the council of the "St. Edwige
Foundation" at the Pontifical University of Krakow. He is also a member of
the association of Polish theologians and a canon of the cathedral.
NA:RE:NEA/ VIS
20111024 (240)
LIVES OF THE NEW SAINTS WERE TRANSFORMED BY DIVINE CHARITY
VATICAN CITY, 23 OCT 2011 (VIS) - At 10 a.m. today Benedict XVI celebrated
the Eucharist in the Vatican Basilica, and canonised the following three
blesseds: Guido Maria Conforti, Italian archbishop-bishop and founder of the
Pious Society of St. Francis Xavier for Foreign Missions (1865-1931); Luigi
Guanella, Italian priest and founder of the Congregation of the Servants of
Charity and of the Institute of the Daughters of Our Lady of Providence
(1842-1915), and Bonifacia Rodriguez de Castro, Spanish foundress of the
Congregation of the Missionary Sisters, Servants of St. Joseph (1837-1905).
In the homily he pronounced following the rite of canonisation, the Pope
first recalled how today marks World Mission Day, which annually seeks "to
reawaken energy and commitment for the mission". He then went on to describe
the characteristics of the three new saints who, he said, "allowed
themselves to be transformed by divine love, around which they moulded their
entire lives. In different situations and with different charisms, they
loved the Lord with all their heart, and their neighbours as themselves,
becoming an example to all believers".
The Holy Father explained how the motto of St. Guido Maria Conforti,
"Caritas Christi urget nos" (Christ's Charity impels us), "sums up the
programme of the missionary institute ... he founded: a religious family
entirely dedicated to evangelisation, under the protection of the great
apostle of the East, St. Francis Xavier". In his episcopal mission this new
saint "dedicated his every effort to the good of the souls entrusted to his
care, especially those who had abandoned the way of the Lord. His life was
marked by many trials, some of them serious", but "in all circumstances,
even amidst the most mortifying failures, he was able to recognise the plan
of God Who guided him to build His Kingdom, particularly by self-denial and
daily acceptance of divine will. ... He was the first to practise and bear
witness to what he taught his missionaries: that perfection consists in
doing God's will, following the model of the crucified Christ".
Speaking of St. Luigi Guanella, the Pope highlighted how "he practised the
Gospel of Charity, which is 'the great commandment', with great courage and
determination". He was "companion and teacher to the poorest and the
weakest, their comfort and relief. Love of God made him desire the good of
the people in his care, in the tangible reality of everyday life". Don
Guanella, as he is known in Italy, "cultivated in his heart the hope that
all human beings, created in the image and likeness of God, ... may draw out
and give the best of themselves to others. ... In his witness, so charged
with humanity and concern for the weakest, we see a glowing sign of the
presence and benevolent action of God", the Holy Father said.
"From her beginnings", St. Bonifacia Rodriguez de Castro, "was able to
unite her daily activities with adherence to Christ. She worked from
childhood, not just as a way to avoid being a burden to others, but also a
means to be free to realise her own vocation. This gave her the chance to
attract and form other women who recognised God and heard His loving call in
the world of work, discerning and realising their own life project. Thus the
Sisters Servants of St. Joseph came into being, in the midst of that
evangelical humility and simplicity which sees the home of Nazareth as a
school of Christian life. ...We entrust ourselves to her intercession and
plead to God for all workers, especially those who undertake the most humble
and sometimes insufficiently appreciated tasks, so that, in the midst of
their daily cares, they may discover the friendly hand of God and bear
witness to His love, transforming their fatigue into a hymn of praise to the
Creator".
HML/ VIS
20111024 (650)
ANGELUS: BLESSED JOHN PAUL II AND PILGRIMAGE TO ASSISI
VATICAN CITY, 23 OCT 2011 (VIS) - Following this morning's Mass for the
canonisation of Guido Maria Conforti, Luigi Guanella and Bonifacia Rodriguez
de Castro, the Pope prayed the Angelus from the atrium of the Vatican
Basilica, with faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square.
"May the example and intercession of these shining figures encourage
everyone to a renewed commitment to live their faith in Christ to the full,
and to bear witness to that faith in the various areas of society", he said.
Turning then to address Polish pilgrims, he recalled how on 22 October,
"together with the diocese of Rome and the Church in Poland, we celebrated
the liturgical memory of Blessed John Paul II". Finally, he invoked the
Blessed Virgin to intercede for "the Day of reflection, dialogue and prayer
for peace and justice in the world: a pilgrimage to Assisi twenty-five years
after the pilgrimage called by Blessed John Paul II".
ANG/ VIS
20111024 (170)
MEMBERS OF JOHN PAUL II FOUNDATION RECEIVED BY THE POPE
VATICAN CITY, 24 OCT 2011 (VIS) - This morning in the Clementine Hall of the
Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father received members of the John Paul
II Foundation, who are currently celebrating their institution's thirtieth
anniversary.
Speaking English, Benedict XVI addressed a special greeting to Cardinal
Stanislaw Dziwisz, former secretary of Blessed John Paul II, and to the
promoters and the current president of the foundation. He then went on to
recall how its goal is to conserve and develop the spiritual heritage of
John Paul II in order to transmit it to future generations. Through its
"Centre for the Documentation and Study of the Pontificate of John Paul II",
the foundation "not only collects archives, bibliographical material and
museum items, but also promotes publications, exhibitions, congresses and
other scientific and cultural events, in order to disseminate the teaching
and the pastoral and humanitarian activity of the Blessed Pontiff".
Pope Benedict also laid emphasis on "one task of great human and cultural
value, explicitly desired by John Paul II and undertaken by the foundation:
that of assisting the 'formation of the clergy and the laity, especially
those from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe'. Every year,
students arrive in Lublin, Warsaw and Krakow from countries which, in former
times, suffered the ideological oppression of the communist regime, in order
to pursue studies in the various branches of science, so as to live new
experiences, to encounter different spiritual traditions, and to broaden
their cultural horizons. Then they return to their own countries, enriching
the various sectors of social, economic, cultural, political and ecclesial
life. More than 900 graduates is a precious gift for those nations. ... I
hope that this work will continue, develop and bear abundant fruits".
The Holy Father concluded by noting that one primary accomplishment of the
foundation has been the "spiritual union of thousands of people in various
continents, who not only support it materially but constitute the Circles of
Friends, communities of formation based on the teaching and the example of
Blessed John Paul II. ... They discern the needs of the present, they look
to the future with solicitude and confidence, and they commit themselves to
imbue the world more deeply with the spirit of solidarity and fraternity.
Let us thank the Lord for the gift of the Holy Spirit Who unites, enlightens
and inspires you".
AC/ VIS
20111024 (410)
HOLY SEE CALLS FOR REFORM OF GLOBAL FINANCE
VATICAN CITY, 24 OCT 2011 (VIS) - This morning in the Holy See Press Office,
a press conference was held to present a note from the Pontifical Council
for Justice and Peace entitled: "Towards reforming the international
financial and monetary systems in the context of a global public authority".
The document was presented by Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson and Bishop
Mario Toso S.D.B., respectively president and secretary of the Pontifical
Council for Justice and Peace, and by Leonardo Becchetti, professor of
political economy at the Roman University of "Tor Vergata".
Cardinal Turkson mentioned the sixth summit meeting of heads of government
of the G-20 nations, due to take place in Cannes, France, on 3 and 4
November to discuss issues related to finance and the global economy. "The
Holy Father and the Holy See", he said, "are following these matters with
particular concern, constantly calling not just for 'joint action', but for
'examination of every facet of the problem: social, economic, cultural and
spiritual'. It is in this spirit of discernment that the Holy See, with the
note of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, wishes to make a
contribution which might be useful to the deliberations of the G-20
meeting".
Bishop Toso explained that the aim of the note is "suggest possible paths
to follow, in line with the most recent social Magisterium, for the
implementation of financial and monetary policies ... that are effective and
representative at a global level, and which seek the authentic human
development of all individuals and peoples".
The Church does not wish to enter into the technical issues behind the
current economic crisis, but remains within the ambit of her religious and
ethical functions. Thus she highlights not just the moral causes of the
crisis but, more specifically, the ideological causes. Old ideologies have
been replaced by new ones, "neo-liberalist, neo-utilitarian, and
technocratic which, by reducing the common good to economic, financial and
technical questions, place the future of democratic institutions themselves
at risk".
Bishop Toso spoke of the need to overcome these ideologies by "a new
global humanism, open to transcendence, ... an ethic of brotherhood and
solidarity, and by subordinating economy and finance to politics, which is
responsible for the common good".
The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, drawing from the social
Magisterium of recent Pontiffs particularly John XXIII and Benedict XVI,
proposes "that globalisation be regulated by a global public authority",
Bishop Toso explained. The council also suggests the reform of current
international institutions. They "must become an expression of free and
shared agreement among peoples; more representative, and with greater levels
of participation and legitimacy. ... They must be 'super partes', at the
service of the universal good, capable of offering effective guidance and,
at the same time, of allowing each country to express and pursue its own
common good, according to the principle of subsidiarity and in the context
of the global common good. Only in this way will international institutions
manage to favour effective monetary and financial systems; in other words,
free and stable markets regulated by an appropriate legal framework and
working towards sustainable development and social progress for everyone".
This global authority "must see its power to lead and to deicide - and to
impose penalties on the basis of the law - as a form of service to the
various members States, a way of ensuring that they possess efficient
markets".
To this end, Bishop Toso concluded, "it is necessary to restore the
primacy of ethics and, therewith, the primacy of politics, which is
responsible for the common good".
CON-IP/ VIS 20111024
(610)
AUDIENCES
VATICAN CITY, 24 OCT 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate
audiences five bishops from the Episcopal Conference of Angola and Sao Tome,
on their "ad limina" visit:
- Archbishop Jose de Queiros Alves C.SS.R. of Huambo.
- Archbishop Damiao Antonio Franklin of Luanda, accompanied by
Auxiliary Bishop Anastacio Kahango O.F.M. Cap., and by Cardinal Alexandre do
Nascimento, archbishop emeritus.
- Archbishop Gabriel Mbilingi C.S.Sp. of Lubango.
On Saturday 22 October he received in separate audiences:
- Cardinal Marc Ouellet P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
- Archbishop Fernando Filoni, prefect of the Congregation for the
Evangelisation of Peoples.
AP/ VIS
20111024 (110)
_____________________________________________
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)
|
