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   VATICAN      News direct from the Vatican Information      2,032 messages   

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   Message 618 of 2,032   
   Vatican Information Service - Eng - to All   
   VISnews 111216   
   16 Dec 11 09:01:40   
   
   Subject: VISnews 111216   
   Organization: VIS   
   From: Vatican Information Service - Eng - txt    
      
   VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE   
      
   TWENTY FIRST YEAR - N. 221   
   ENGLISH   
   FRIDAY, 16 DECEMBER 2011   
      
   SUMMARY:   
      
   - Constructing History by Uniting Faith and Culture   
   - The Christmas Tree Reminds Us That Life Endures   
   - Educating Young People in Justice and Peace   
   - Audiences   
   - Other Pontifical Acts   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
   CONSTRUCTING HISTORY BY UNITING FAITH AND CULTURE   
      
   VATICAN CITY, 16 DEC 2011 (VIS) - Yesterday evening, in keeping with a   
   pre-Christmas tradition, the Holy Father presided at Vespers in the Vatican   
   Basilica with students from Roman universities. Also present at the ceremony   
   - which this year coincides with the twentieth anniversary of the Office for   
   Pastoral Care in Universities, established by Blessed John Paul II - were   
   representatives from a number of academic institutions, and Francesco   
   Profumo, minister for education, universities and research.   
      
     Benedict XVI's homily, extracts of which are given below, reflected on the   
   Apostle James' call to "be patient until the coming of the Lord".   
      
     "To you who live at the heart of the cultural and social environment of   
   our time, who experience new and increasingly refined technologies, who are   
   protagonists of historical changes which sometimes seem overwhelming, the   
   Apostle's call may appear to be an anachronism. ... His exhortation to   
   patient constancy, which in our time may leave us somewhat perplexed, is in   
   fact the way to a deeper understanding of the question of God and its   
   importance in life and history; because it is in patience, in faithfulness,   
   in the constant search for and openness to God, that He reveals His Face".   
      
     "St. James ... reminds us that ... we are not alone, and that we do not   
   create history by ourselves. God is not distant from man, He has come close   
   to him, He became flesh. ... Patience is the virtue of those people who   
   entrust themselves to this presence in history, who do not let themselves be   
   drawn by the temptation to place all their hope in the present moment, in a   
   purely horizontal perspective, in projects that are technically perfect but   
   far distant from the profound truth that gives human beings their greatest   
   dignity: the transcendent dimension, the fact of being created in the image   
   and likeness of God".   
      
     "In the incarnation of the Son, ... God experienced man's temporality, his   
   growth and development over time and history. The Child is a sign of the   
   patience of God, Who was the first to be patient, constant and faithful in   
   His love for us. ... How many times has mankind tried to construct the world   
   alone, without God or against Him! The result is to be seen in ideologies   
   which, in the end, revealed themselves as being against man and his profound   
   dignity".   
      
     "Being constant and patient means learning to construct history together   
   with God, because only if built upon Him and with Him can it have solid   
   foundations. ... Let us, then, stoke up hope in our hearts, because the Word   
   of God reminds us that ... the Lord is with us and that we can build with   
   Him. ... We can plan our entire history, the history of humanity not as a   
   utopia but in the certainty that the God of Jesus Christ is present and   
   accompanies us".   
      
     "The Lord asks each of you to collaborate in constructing the city of man,   
   uniting faith and culture with seriousness and passion. Therefore I invite   
   each of you to seek the true Face of God with patient constancy. ...   
   Announce to everyone that the true Face of God is in the Baby of Bethlehem,   
   so close to each of us that no one can feel excluded, no one can doubt the   
   possibility of meeting Him, because He is the patient and faithful God, Who   
   waits and respects our freedom".   
      
     At the end of the liturgy, a Spanish university delegation consigned the   
   image of "Maria Sedes Sapientiae" to a delegation from the Roman University   
   of "La Sapienza". The image will be taken on a "Peregrinatio Mariae" to   
   various university chaplaincies in the Italian capital in preparation for an   
   international symposium of university professors, due to be held in June   
   2012.   
   HML/                                                                    VIS   
   20111216 (640)   
      
   THE CHRISTMAS TREE REMINDS US THAT LIFE ENDURES   
      
   VATICAN CITY, 16 DEC 2011 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican, Benedict XVI   
   received a delegation from Ukraine, the country which donated the Christmas   
   tree decorating St. Peter's Square this year. The tree, a spruce from the   
   Zakarpattia region 30.5 metres high and decorated with 2,500 silver- and   
   gold-coloured baubles, will be lit this evening in the presence of Ukrainian   
   bishops. Other smaller trees have also been donated, which will be set up at   
   other places in Vatican City State.   
      
     The Pope greeted the bishops accompanying the Ukrainian delegation: His   
   Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Major Archbishop of Kyiv-Halyc; Archbishop   
   Mieczyslaw Mokrzycki of Lviv of the Latins, and Bishop Milan Sasik C.M. of   
   the eparchy of Mukachevo of the Byzantine rite, as well as members of the   
   Orthodox Church led by the Archbishop of Poltava and Myrhorod.   
      
     This tree, said the Holy Father, is "a significant symbol of Christ's   
   Nativity because, with its evergreen boughs, it reminds us of enduring life.   
   The spruce is also a sign of popular religiosity in your country, and of the   
   Christian roots of your culture. My hope is that these roots may   
   increasingly reinforce your national unity, favouring the promotion of   
   authentic shared values. Over the centuries your nation has been a   
   crossroads of different cultures, a meeting point for the spiritual richness   
   of East and West. By tenaciously adhering to the values of the faith, may it   
   continue to response to this unique vocation".   
      
     The tree and nativity scene, Benedict XVI went on, "are elements of that   
   typically Christmas atmosphere which is part our communities' spiritual   
   heritage; a climate impregnated with religiosity and family intimacy which   
   we must seek to conserve, even in modern societies where consumerism and the   
   search for material goods sometimes seem to prevail. Christmas is a   
   Christian feast and its symbols are important references to the great   
   mystery of the incarnation and birth of Jesus, which the liturgy constantly   
   re-evokes. The Creator of the universe, by becoming a child, came among us   
   to share our journey; He became small to enter the heart of man and renew it   
   with His love. Let us prepare ourselves to welcome Him with faith".   
   AC/                                                                     VIS   
   20111216 (370)   
      
   EDUCATING YOUNG PEOPLE IN JUSTICE AND PEACE   
      
   VATICAN CITY, 16 DEC 2011 (VIS) - In the Holy See Press Office at midday   
   today, a press conference took place to present Benedict XVI's Message for   
   the World Day of Peace 2012, due to be celebrated on 1 January. The theme of   
   this year's message is: "Educating Young People in Justice and Peace". The   
   conference 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. Extracts of the English-language version of   
   the Pope's Message are given below.   
      
     The beginning of a new year, God's gift to humanity, prompts me to extend   
   to all, with great confidence and affection, my heartfelt good wishes that   
   this time now before us may be marked concretely by justice and peace.   
      
     It is true that the year now ending has been marked by a rising sense of   
   frustration at the crisis looming over society, the world of labour and the   
   economy, a crisis whose roots are primarily cultural and anthropological.   
      
     I would like therefore to devote this message for the forty-fifth World   
   Day of Peace to the theme of education: "Educating Young People in Justice   
   and Peace", in the conviction that the young, with their enthusiasm and   
   idealism, can offer new hope to the world.   
      
     My Message is also addressed to parents, families and all those involved   
   in the area of education and formation, as well as to leaders in the various   
   spheres of religious, social, political, economic and cultural life and in   
   the media.   
      
     Education ... calls for responsibility on the part of the learners, who   
   must be open to being led to the knowledge of reality, and on the part of   
   educators, who must be ready to give of themselves. For this reason, today   
   more than ever we need authentic witnesses, and not simply people who parcel   
   out rules and facts. ... A witness is someone who first lives the life that   
   he proposes to others.   
      
     Where does true education in peace and justice take place? First of all,   
   in the family, since parents are the first educators. ... It is in the   
   family that children learn the human and Christian values which enable them   
   to have a constructive and peaceful coexistence. It is in the family that   
   they learn solidarity between the generations, respect for rules,   
   forgiveness and how to welcome others. The family is the first school in   
   which we are trained in justice and peace.   
      
     We are living in a world where families, and life itself, are constantly   
   threatened and not infrequently fragmented. Working conditions which are   
   often incompatible with family responsibilities, worries about the future,   
   the frenetic pace of life, the need to move frequently to ensure an adequate   
   livelihood, to say nothing of mere survival - all this makes it hard to   
   ensure that children receive one of the most precious of treasures: the   
   presence of their parents. ... I would urge parents not to grow   
   disheartened! May they encourage children by the example of their lives to   
   put their hope before all else in God, the one source of authentic justice   
   and peace.   
      
     I would also like to address a word to those in charge of educational   
   institutions: with a great sense of responsibility may they ensure that the   
   dignity of each person is always respected and appreciated.   
      
     Every educational setting can be a place of openness to the transcendent   
   and to others; a place of dialogue, cohesiveness and attentive listening,   
   where young people feel appreciated for their personal abilities and inner   
   riches, and can learn to esteem their brothers and sisters.   
      
     I ask political leaders to offer concrete assistance to families and   
   educational institutions in the exercise of their right and duty to educate.   
   Adequate support should never be lacking to parents in their task. ... Let   
   them give young people a transparent image of politics as a genuine service   
   to the good of all.   
      
     In today's society the mass media have a particular role: they not only   
   inform but also form the minds of their audiences, and so they can make a   
   significant contribution to the education of young people.   
      
     Education, indeed, is concerned with the integral formation of the person,   
   including the moral and spiritual dimension, focused upon man's final end   
   and the good of the society to which he belongs. Therefore, in order to   
   educate in truth, it is necessary first and foremost to know who the human   
   person is, to know human nature. ... Man is a being who bears within his   
   heart a thirst for the infinite, a thirst for truth - a truth which is not   
   partial but capable of explaining life's meaning - since he was created in   
   the image and likeness of God. ... Hence the first step in education is   
   learning to recognise the Creator's image in man, and consequently learning   
   to have a profound respect for every human being.   
      
     Only in relation to God does man come to understand also the meaning of   
   human freedom. It is the task of education to form people in authentic   
   freedom.   
      
     Freedom is a precious value, but a fragile one; it can be misunderstood   
   and misused.   
      
     Deep within his conscience, man discovers a law that he did not lay upon   
   himself, but which he must obey. Its voice calls him to love and to do what   
   is good, to avoid evil and to take responsibility for the good he does and   
   the evil he commits. Thus, the exercise of freedom is intimately linked to   
   the natural moral law, which is universal in character, expresses the   
   dignity of every person and forms the basis of fundamental human rights and   
   duties: consequently, in the final analysis, it forms the basis for just and   
   peaceful coexistence. The right use of freedom, then, is central to the   
   promotion of justice and peace, which require respect for oneself and   
   others.   
      
     It is important not to detach the concept of justice from its transcendent   
   roots. Justice, indeed, is not simply a human convention, since what is just   
   is ultimately determined not by positive law, but by the profound identity   
   of the human being. It is the integral vision of man that saves us from   
   falling into a contractual conception of justice and enables us to locate   
   justice within the horizon of solidarity and love.   
      
     The "earthly city" is promoted not merely by relationships of rights and   
   duties, but to an even greater and more fundamental extent by relationships   
   of gratuitousness, mercy and communion.   
      
     Peace is not merely the absence of war, and it is not limited to   
   maintaining a balance of powers between adversaries. Peace cannot be   
   attained on earth without safeguarding the goods of persons, free   
   communication among men, respect for the dignity of persons and peoples, and   
   the assiduous practice of fraternity.   
      
     Peace, however, is not merely a gift to be received: it is also a task to   
   be undertaken. In order to be true peacemakers, we must educate ourselves in   
   compassion, solidarity, working together, fraternity, in being active within   
   the community.   
      
     Peace for all is the fruit of justice for all, and no one can shirk this   
   essential task of promoting justice, according to one's particular areas of   
   competence and responsibility. To the young, who have such a strong   
   attachment to ideals, I extend a particular invitation to be patient and   
   persevering in seeking justice and peace, in cultivating the taste for what   
   is just and true, even when it involves sacrifice and swimming against the   
   tide.   
      
     Dear young people, you are a precious gift for society. Do not yield to   
   discouragement in the face of difficulties and do not abandon yourselves to   
   false solutions which often seem the easiest way to overcome problems. Do   
   not be afraid to make a commitment, to face hard work and sacrifice, to   
   choose the paths that demand fidelity and constancy, humility and   
   dedication.   
      
     Realise that you yourselves are an example and an inspiration to adults,   
   even more so to the extent that you seek to overcome injustice and   
   corruption and strive to build a better future. Be aware of your potential;   
   never become self-centred but work for a brighter future for all. You are   
   never alone. The Church has confidence in you, follows you, encourages you   
   and wishes to offer you the most precious gift she has: the opportunity to   
   raise your eyes to God, to encounter Jesus Christ, Who is Himself justice   
   and peace.   
      
     Let us look with greater hope to the future; let us encourage one another   
   on our journey; let us work together to give our world a more humane and   
   fraternal face; and let us feel a common responsibility towards present and   
   future generations, especially in the task of training them to be people of   
   peace and builders of peace.   
   MESS/                                                                   VIS   
   20111216 (1480)   
      
   AUDIENCES   
      
   VATICAN CITY, 16 DEC 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience   
   nine prelates from the Conferentia Episcopalis Pacifici, on their "ad   
   limina" visit:   
      
       - Archbishop Anthony Sablam Apuron O.F.M. Cap. of Agana.   
      
       - Bishop Amando Samo of Caroline Islands.   
      
       - Fr. Ryan Jimenez, apostolic administrator of Chalan Kanoa.   
      
       - Fr. Raymundo Sabio M.S.C., apostolic prefect of the Marshall Islands.   
      
       - Archbishop Michel-Marie-Bernard Calvet of Noumea.   
      
       - Bishop Jean Bosco Baremes of Port Vila.   
      
       - Bishop Ghislain de Rasilly S.M. of Wallis and Futuna.   
      
       - Fr. Bruno Mai, apostolic administrator of Papeete.   
      
       - Bishop Pascal Chang-Soi SS.CC. coadjutor of Taiohae.   
      
     This evening he is scheduled to receive in audience Cardinal William   
   Joseph Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.   
   AL:AP/                                                          VIS 20111216   
   (130)   
      
   OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS   
      
   VATICAN CITY, 16 DEC 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Msgr. Jose   
   Leonardo Lemos Montanet of the clergy of the archdiocese of Santiago de   
   Compostela, Spain, director of the "Instituto Compostelano Superior de   
   Ciencias Religiosas", as bishop of Orense (area 5,281, population 299,489,   
   Catholics 290,275, priests 357, religious 408), Spain. The bishop-elect was   
   born in Barallobre, Spain in 1953 and ordained a priest in 1979. He has   
   worked as a formator in minor and major seminaries, as a professor and as   
   director of the library of the "Instituto Teologico Compostelano".   
   NER/                                                                    VIS   
   20111216 (100)   
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