Subject: VISnews 111031
Organization: VIS - Ufficio Stampa della Santa Sede
From: Vatican Information Service - Eng - txt
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
TWENTY FIRST YEAR - N. 188
ENGLISH
MONDAY, 31 OCTOBER 2011
SUMMARY: 29 - 31 OCTOBER
- Christianity, an Essential Factor of Development in Africa
- Pope Recalls Flood Victims in Thailand and Italy
- Brazil: Fruitful Cooperation between Church and State
- Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for November
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts
- Notice
___________________________________________________________
CHRISTIANITY, AN ESSENTIAL FACTOR OF DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA
VATICAN CITY, 29 OCT 2011 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican, the Holy
Father received a group of prelates from the Episcopal Conference of
Angola
and Sao Tome, who have just completed their "ad limina" visit.
Benedict XVI began his address by referring to the visit he had made
to
Luanda in March 2009 during which, he said, "I had the chance to meet
you
and celebrate Jesus Christ in the midst of a people who never cease to
seek,
love and serve Him, generously and joyfully".
The Holy Father also made mention of the fact that he is due to return
to
Africa in November, when he will travel to Benin to sign the
Post-Synodal
Apostolic Exhortation of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the
Synod
of Bishops. Quoting from the final message of that synodal meeting, he
said:
"As Church, the first and most specific contribution we must make to the
people of Africa is the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ,
because
announcing Christ is the primary and most important factor of
development.
Development arises from transformation of heart and transformation of
heart
comes from conversion to the Gospel".
The Pope then turned his attention to three of the most important
difficulties currently facing Angolan Christians, "who undergo the
pressure
of the customs of the societies in which they live. Yet, by the grace of
Baptism, they are called to renounce harmful practices, and to swim
against
the tide guided by the spirit of the Beatitudes".
The first problem the Pope identified was that of concubinage, "which
goes
against God's plan for procreation and the human family. The low number
of
Catholic marriages in your communities is the sign of a grave burden on
families which, we well know, are vitally important for the stability of
society. ... Help married couples to acquire the human and spiritual
maturity they need to accept their mission as Christian spouses and
parents
with responsibility, reminding them that their spousal love must be
unique
and indissoluble like the bond between Christ and His Church".
Another difficulty lies in the fact that "the hearts of the baptised
are
torn between Christianity and traditional African religions. Faced with
life's problems, they do not hesitate to turn to practices that are
incompatible with adherence to Christ. One particularly abominable
consequence is the marginalisation and even murder of children and
elderly
people, condemned by the false diktats of witchcraft. Dear bishops,
continue
to raise your voice in support of the victims, in the certainty that
human
life is sacred at all moments and in all situations". Ecclesial
communities
must strive, together with governments and civil society, to "find a way
that leads to the definitive eradication" of this scourge.
The third problem facing Angolan Christians lies in "the remnants of
ethnic tribalism, evident in the attitude of communities that tend to
close
in on themselves, rejecting people from other parts of the country. ...
In
the Church, the new family of all who believe in Christ, there is no
space
for division of any kind", the Pope said. "Men and women of different
tribes, languages and nations gather round the altar where, sharing the
one
Body and Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist, they become true brothers and
sisters. This bond of fraternity is stronger than that our earthly
families
or tribes".
In conclusion, the Pope reiterated a phrase he had pronounced during
his
2009 visit to Luanda: "God has enabled human beings to fly, over and
above
their natural tendencies, on the wings of reason and faith. If you let
these
wings bear you aloft, you will easily recognise your neighbour as a
brother
or sister, born with the same fundamental human rights".
AL/ VIS
20111031 (630)
POPE RECALLS FLOOD VICTIMS IN THAILAND AND ITALY
VATICAN CITY, 30 OCT 2011 (VIS) - At midday today Benedict XVI appeared
at
the window of his study to pray the Angelus with faithful gathered below
in
St. Peter's Square.
The Pope commented on today's reading from the First Letter of St.
Paul to
the Thessalonians, in which the Apostle invites us to accept the Gospel
"not
as a human word but as what it really is, God's word". By doing so "we
can
faithfully accept the admonitions Jesus addresses to our conscience, and
behave accordingly. In today's reading He reproaches the scribes and
Pharisees, who had the role of leaders in the community, because their
behaviour was in open contrast with the teachings they rigorously sought
to
impose upon others. ... Good doctrine must be welcomed, but it risks
being
invalidated by incoherent behaviour. ... Jesus' approach is the exact
opposite: He is the first to practise the commandment of love, which He
teaches to everyone. And His is but a light burden because He helps us
to
carry it with Him.
"Referring to leaders who oppress the freedom of others in the name of
their own authority, St. Bonaventure identified the true leader, saying
that
'no one can teach or even practise, nor arrive at knowledge of the truth
unless the Son of God is present'. ... We are, then, called to follow
the
Son of God, the Word incarnate, Who expressed the truth of His teachings
through His own faithfulness to the will of the Father, through His gift
of
self. ... Jesus also firmly condemned vanity, noting that those who act
'to
be seen by others' place themselves at the mercy of human approval,
undermining the values that support the authenticity of the individual".
The Holy Father called for the intercession of the Blessed Virgin,
particularly for "those in the Christian community who are called to the
ministry of teaching, that through their actions they may always bear
witness to the truth they transmit in words".
Following the Marian prayer, the Holy Father expressed his closeness
"to
the people of Thailand who have suffered serious floods, and for the
people
of the Italian regions of Liguria and Tuscany, which have also been
badly
affected by torrential rain. I give them assurances of my prayers".
ANG/ VIS
20111031 (390)
BRAZIL: FRUITFUL COOPERATION BETWEEN CHURCH AND STATE
VATICAN CITY, 31 OCT 2011 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican, Benedict
XVI
received the Letters of Credence of Almir Franco de Sa Barbuda, the new
ambassador of Brazil to the Holy See. The Pope began his remarks to the
diplomat by expressing his gratitude for the readiness of the Brazilian
authorities to host the next World Youth Day, due to take place in Rio
de
Janeiro in 2013.
He then went on to consider the long history of diplomatic relations
between the Holy See and Brazil, which were established shortly after
the
country's independence, also highlighting the fruitful influence of the
Catholic Church which dates back to the first Mass celebrated there on
26
April 1500. Proof of this is to be found, the Holy Father said, in "the
many
cities named after saints, and the numerous religious monuments, some of
which symbolise the country throughout the world, such as the statue of
the
Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro".
One important chapter of this "shared fertile history" was the
agreement
the Holy See and the Brazilian government signed in 2008, which
"officially
and juridically sealed the independence and collaboration of the two
parties". In this context, the Pope also expressed the hope that the
State
would recognise that "healthy secularism must not consider religion as a
mere individual sentiment, relegated to the private sphere, but as a
reality
which, being organised into visible structures, requires public
recognition
of its presence".
"It is therefore up to the State to ensure that all religious
confessions
enjoy freedom of worship, and the right to practice their cultural,
educational and charitable activities, when these do not contrast with
morality or public order", he said. "The Church does not limit her own
contribution to concrete humanitarian or educational assistance; rather,
she
pursues above all the ethical development of society. Encouraged by the
numerous expressions of openness to transcendence, she seeks to form
consciences and to show solidarity".
Benedict XVI identified a number of fields of mutual cooperation,
including that of education in which the Church has "many institutions
which
enjoy prestigious recognition in society. The role of education cannot,
in
fact, be reduced to the mere transmission of knowledge and abilities for
professional formation", he explained. "Rather it must comprehend all
facets
of the individual, from social factors to the longing for transcendence.
We
must, therefore, reiterate that the teaching of a particular religion in
State schools, ... far from indicating that the State assumes or imposes
a
certain religious belief, is recognition of the fact that religion is an
important value in the formation of the individual. ... Not only does
this
not prejudice the secularism of the State, it guarantees parents' rights
to
chose the education of their children, thus helping to promote the
common
good".
Finally, on the subject of social justice, the Pope concluded by
saying
that "the Brazilian government knows that it can rely on the Church as a
partner in all initiatives aimed at eradicating hunger and want, ... and
helping those most in need to escape poverty ... and marginalisation".
CD/ VIS
20111031 (530)
BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR NOVEMBER
VATICAN CITY, 31 OCT 2011 (VIS) - Pope Benedict's general prayer
intention
for November is: "That the terminally ill may be supported by their
faith in
God and the love of their brothers and sisters".
His mission intention is: "That the celebration of World Mission Day
may
foster in the People of God a passion for evangelisation with the
willingness to support the missions with prayer and economic aid for the
poorest Churches".
BXVI-PRAYER INTENTIONS/ VIS 20111031 (80)
AUDIENCES
VATICAN CITY, 31 OCT 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in
separate
audiences:
- Archbishop Ubaldo Ramon Santana Sequera F.M.I. of Maracaibo,
Venezuela,
president of the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference, accompanied by
Archbishop
Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo of Merida, first vice president; Bishop
Jesus Gonzalez de Zarate Salas, auxiliary of Caracas, secretary general,
and
Cardinal Jorge Liberato Urosa Savino, archbishop of Caracas, president
"ad
honorem".
- Ten prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Angola and Sao Tome, on
their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Almeida Kanda of Ndalatando.
- Archbishop Jose Manuel Imbamba of Saurimo.
- Bishop Benedito Roberto C.S.Sp. of Sumbe.
- Bishop Emilio Sumbelelo of Uije, accompanied by Bishop emeritus
Jose
Francisco Moreira dos Santos O.F.M. Cap.
- Bishop Joaquim Ferreira Lopes O.F.M. Cap. of Viana.
- Bishop Mario Lukunde of Menongwe.
- Bishop Dionisio Hisiilenapo of Namibe.
- Bishop Fernando GuimarE3es Kevanu of Ondjiva.
- Bishop Manuel Antonio Mendes dos Santos C.M.F. of Sao Tome and
Principe.
On Saturday 29 October he received in separate audiences:
- Cardinal Raffaele Farina S.D.B., archivist and librarian of Holy
Roman
Church.
- Nine prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Angola and Sao Tome,
on
their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Eugenio Dal Corso P.S.D.P. of Benguela, accompanied by
Bishop
emeritus Oscar Lino Lopes Fernandes Braga.
- Bishop Jose Nambi of Kwito-Bie.
- Bishop Jesus Tirso Blanco S.D.B. of Lwena.
- Bishop Filomeno do Nascimento Vieira Dias of Cabinda.
- Bishop Antonio Francisco Jaca S.V.D. of Caxito.
- Msgr. Colm Reidy, diocesan administrator of Dundo.
- Bishop Luis Maria Perez de Onraita Aguirre of Malanje.
- Bishop Vicente Carlos Kiaziku, O.F.M. Cap. of Mbanza Congo.
- Cardinal Marc Ouellet P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for
Bishops.
AP:AL/ VIS 20111031
(290)
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
VATICAN CITY, 31 OCT 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father accepted the
resignation
from the office of auxiliary of the diocese of Kalisz, Poland, presented
by
Bishop Teofil Wilski, upon having reached the age limit.
On Saturday 29 October it was made public that he:
- Appointed Bishop Wiktor Pawel Skworc of Tarnow, Poland, as
metropolitan
archbishop of Katowice (area 2,400, population 1,498,123, Catholics
1,454,328, priests 1,085, religious 1,093), Poland. He succeeds
Archbishop
Damian Zimon, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same
archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Fr. Sebastain Tudu of the clergy of Dinajpur, Bangladesh,
vice
rector of the major seminary of the Holy Spirit in Dhaka and diocesan
director of the Pontifical Missionary Works, as bishop of Dinajpur (area
17,500, population 16,529,090, Catholics 46,578, priests 56, religious
148).
The bishop-elect was born in Changura, Bangladesh in 1967 and ordained a
priest in 1999. He has worked as parochial vicar in a number of parishes
in
Bangladesh and attained a doctorate in missiology from the Pontifical
Urban
University.
- Erected the new diocese of Kabwe (area 63,574, population 1,078,334,
Catholics 138,810, priests 43, religious 95) Zambia, with territory
taken
from the diocese of Mpika and the archdiocese of Lusaka, making it a
suffragan of the metropolitan church of Lusaka. He appointed Fr. Clement
Mulenga S.D.B, director of the office for the pastoral care of young
people
in the archdiocese of Lusaka, as first bishop of the new diocese. The
bishop-elect was born in Dimashi, in 1965 and ordained a priest in 1998.
He
studied at the Pontifical Salesian University and has worked in Salesian
communities in Zambia and Tanzania.
- Appointed Archbishop Nicola Girasoli, apostolic nuncio to Zambia and
Malawi, as apostolic nuncio to Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Dominica,
Jamaica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and
Grenadines, Suriname, Guyana, and apostolic delegate in the Antilles.
RE:NER:ECE:NN/ VIS 20111031
(330)
NOTICE
VATICAN CITY, 31 OCT 2011 (VIS) - We would like to remind our readers
that
no VIS bulletin will be transmitted on Tuesday 1 November or on
Wednesday 2
November, respectively All Saints Day and All Souls Day, and holidays in
the
Vatican. Service will resume on Thursday 3 November.
.../ VIS
20111031 (60)
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