Subject: VISnews 120109
Organization: VIS
From: Vatican Information Service - Eng - txt
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
TWENTY SECOND YEAR - N. 6
ENGLISH
MONDAY, 9 JANUARY 2012
SUMMARY: 8 - 9 JANUARY
- The Pope Baptises Sixteen Children in the Sistine Chapel
- Angelus: God Wants and Loves Each One of Us
- Holy Father's Annual Address to the Diplomatic Corps
___________________________________________________________
THE POPE BAPTISES SIXTEEN CHILDREN IN THE SISTINE CHAPEL
VATICAN CITY, 8 JAN 2012 (VIS) - This morning in the Sistine Chapel the Pope
presided at the celebration of the Eucharist for the Feast of the Baptism of
the Lord, during which he baptised sixteen newborn infants.
In his homily Benedict XVI commented on today's responsorial psalm from
the Book of Isaiah, to which the faithful respond: "With joy we will draw
water from the wells of salvation". He explained: "As adults, we have
undertaken to draw from good wells, for our own benefit and that of the
people entrusted to our care. You in particular, dear parents and
godparents, do so for the benefit of these children. And what are the 'wells
of salvation'? They are the Word of God and the Sacraments.
"Adults", the Pope added, "are the first who should draw from these wells,
in order to guide young people in their development. Parents must give a
great deal, but in order to give they must also receive, otherwise they
become empty and dry. Parents are not the well, just as we priests are not
the well: we are the channels through which the vital lymph of God's love
must pass. If we detach ourselves from the well, ... we are no longer able
to educate others".
"The first and most important form of education comes about through
witness", the Holy Father went on, turning his attention to the Gospel
reading. "John the Baptist was a great educator of his disciples, because he
led them to the encounter with Jesus, to Whom he bore witness. ... True
educators do not bind people to themselves, they are not possessive. They
want their children or disciples to learn to know the truth, and to
establish a personal relationship therewith. Educators carry out their
responsibilities to the full by maintaining an attentive and faithful
presence, but their objective is to ensure that their pupils hear the voice
of truth, ... and follow that voice on an individual journey".
St. John the Evangelist writes: "the Spirit is the one that testifies".
For this reason "it is very important for parents and godparents to believe
strongly in the presence and action of the Holy Spirit, to invoke and accept
Him ... through prayer and the Sacraments. It is, in fact, He Who
illuminates the minds of educators and warms their hearts, enabling them to
transmit knowledge and love of Jesus. Prayer is the main premise for
education, because through prayer we put ourselves in a position whereby we
leave the initiative to God. ... At the same time, when we pray we listen to
God Who inspires us to play our role well, that role which is in any case
ours and which we must carry out. The Sacraments, especially the Eucharist
and Penance, enable us to undertake our educational activity in union with
Christ, in communion with Him and continually renewed by His forgiveness".
The Pope concluded by entrusting the newly baptised infants to the Blessed
Virgin, "that they may grow in age, wisdom and grace, and become true
Christians, faithful and joyful witnesses of the love of God".
HML/ VIS
20120109 (530)
ANGELUS: GOD WANTS AND LOVES EACH ONE OF US
VATICAN CITY, 8 JAN 2012 (VIS) - This morning, after celebrating Mass in the
Sistine Chapel during which he administered the Sacrament of Baptism to a
group of infants, the Pope appeared at the window of his study in the
Vatican Apostolic Palace to pray the Angelus with faithful and pilgrims
gathered in St. Peter's Square.
"Today we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord", he said. "I
would like to reflect briefly upon our status as children of God, but I
would begin first of all by highlighting the simple fact that we are
children, a fundamental condition which unities us all. ... Coming into the
world is never our choice. ... Yet during our existence we can develop a
positive attitude towards life, we can welcome it as a gift. ... This is a
sign of maturity in our being, and in our relationship with our parents
which is thus filled with recognition".
"All of us are likewise children of God. God is the origin of the
existence of all creatures, He is the Father of each individual human being,
with each of whom He has a unique personal relationship. God wants and loves
each one of us. ... Thanks to the faith, thanks to a profound and personal
'yes' to God as the origin and foundation of my existence, ... I welcome
life as a gift of the Father Who is in heaven; a Parent ... Who, in the
depths of my heart, I feel to be my Father, the Father or all my brothers
and sisters in humanity, a Father Who is intensely good and faithful".
"This faith in God the Father rests upon Jesus Christ. His person and His
history reveal the Father to us. ... To believe that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God, enables us 'to be reborn from above', in other words from
God Who is Love. ... This is the significance of the Sacrament of Baptism:
it is a new birth which comes about thanks to the Holy Spirit".
"This Sunday concludes the period of Christmas. Let us give thanks unto
God for this great mystery. ... God became the child of man that man might
become the child of God. Let us then renew our joy at being children, ...
born of the love of a father and a mother, and reborn in God's love through
Baptism".
Following the Angelus, the Pope addressed greetings to the pilgrims in
various languages.
ANG/ VIS
20120109 (430)
HOLY FATHER'S ANNUAL ADDRESS TO THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS
VATICAN CITY, 9 JAN 2012 (VIS) - This morning in the Sala Regia of the
Vatican Apostolic Palace, Pope Benedict pronounced his traditional annual
address to members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See.
Before making his remarks, the Pope was greeted by Alejandro Emilio
Valladares Lanza of Honduras, dean of the diplomatic corps, then received
the greetings of the ambassadors as a whole formulated in a speech delivered
by Jean-Claude Michel of the Principality of Monaco, vice dean.
The Holy See currently maintains full diplomatic relations with 179
States, to which must be added the European Union and the Sovereign Military
Order of Malta. It also has relations of a special nature with the Palestine
Liberation Organisation.
Furthermore, the Holy See has observer-State status at the United Nations,
as well as being a member of seven organisations and agencies of the UN
system, observer in eight others, and member or observer in five regional
organisations.
Ample extracts of the Holy Father's address are give below:
"Through you my good wishes extend to all the nations which you represent
and with which the Holy See maintains diplomatic relations. It is a joy for
us that Malaysia joined this community in the past year. ... A sign of the
cooperation existing between the Catholic Church and States is seen in the
Accords reached in 2011 with Azerbaijan, Montenegro and Mozambique. ... The
Holy See also desires to establish a fruitful dialogue with international
and regional organisations, and in this context I note with satisfaction
that the member States of the Association of South-East Asian Nations
(ASEAN) have accepted the appointment of an apostolic nuncio accredited to
that organisation. Nor can I fail to mention that last December the Holy See
strengthened its longstanding cooperation with the International
Organisation for Migration by becoming a full member".
"Finally, I wish to greet South Sudan, which last July became a sovereign
State. I am happy that this was achieved peacefully. Sadly, tensions and
clashes have ensued in recent months, and I express my hope that all may
unite their efforts to enable the people of Sudan and South Sudan to
experience at last a period of peace, freedom and development".
"Today's meeting traditionally takes place at the end of the Christmas
season, during which the Church celebrates the coming of the Saviour. He
comes in the dark of night and so His presence is immediately a source of
light and joy. ... Truly the world is dark wherever men and women no longer
acknowledge their bond with the Creator and thereby endanger their relation
to other creatures and to creation itself. The present moment is sadly
marked by a profound disquiet and the various crises - economic, political
and social - are a dramatic expression of this.
"Here I cannot fail to address before all else the grave and disturbing
developments of the global economic and financial crisis. The crisis has not
only affected families and businesses in the more economically advanced
countries where it originated, creating a situation in which many people,
especially the young, have felt disoriented and frustrated in their
aspirations for a serene future, but it has also had a profound impact on
the life of developing countries. We must not lose heart, but instead
resolutely rediscover our way through new forms of commitment. The crisis
can and must be an incentive to reflect on human existence and on the
importance of its ethical dimension, even before we consider the mechanisms
governing economic life: not only in an effort to stem private losses or to
shore up national economies, but to give ourselves new rules which ensure
that all can lead a dignified life and develop their abilities for the
benefit of the community as a whole.
"The effects of the present moment of uncertainty are felt particularly by
the young. Their disquiet has given rise in recent months to agitation which
has affected various regions, at times severely. I think first and foremost
of North Africa and the Middle East, where young people, among others, who
are suffering from poverty and unemployment and are fearful of an uncertain
future, have launched what has developed into a vast movement calling for
reforms and a more active share in political and social life. ... Initial
optimism has yielded to an acknowledgment of the difficulties of this moment
of transition and change. ... Respect for the person must be at the centre
of institutions and laws; it must lead to the end of all violence and
forestall the risk that due concern for popular demands and the need for
social solidarity turn into mere means for maintaining or seizing power. I
invite the international community to dialogue with the actors in the
current processes, in a way respectful of peoples and in the realisation
that the building of stable and reconciled societies, opposed to every form
of unjust discrimination, particularly religious discrimination, represents
a much vaster horizon than that of short-term electoral gains.
"I am deeply concerned for the people of those countries where hostilities
and acts of violence continue, particularly Syria, where I pray for a rapid
end to the bloodshed and the beginning of a fruitful dialogue between the
political forces, encouraged by the presence of independent observers. In
the Holy Land, where tensions between Palestinians and Israelis affect the
stability of the entire Middle East, it is necessary that the leaders of
these two peoples adopt courageous and farsighted decisions in favour of
peace. I was pleased to learn that, following an initiative of the Kingdom
of Jordan, dialogue has been resumed; I express my hope that it will be
maintained, and that it will lead to a lasting peace which guarantees the
right of the two peoples to dwell in security in sovereign States and within
secure and internationally recognised borders. ... I am also following
closely the developments in Iraq, and I deplore the attacks that have
recently caused so much loss of life; I encourage the nation's leaders to
advance firmly on the path to full national reconciliation".
"Education is a crucial theme for every generation, for it determines the
healthy development of each person and the future of all society. ... In
addition to a clear goal, that of leading young people to a full knowledge
of reality and thus of truth, education needs settings. Among these, pride
of place goes to the family, based on the marriage of a man and a woman.
This is not a simple social convention, but rather the fundamental cell of
every society. Consequently, policies which undermine the family threaten
human dignity and the future of humanity itself. ... There is a need for
policies which promote the family and aid social cohesion and dialogue. It
is in the family that we become open to the world and to life. ... In this
context of openness to life, I note with satisfaction the recent sentence of
the Court of Justice of the European Union forbidding patenting processes
relative to human embryonic stem cells, as well as the resolution of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe condemning prenatal
selection on the basis of sex. More generally, and with particular reference
to the West, I am convinced that legislative measures which not only permit
but at times even promote abortion for reasons of convenience or for
questionable medical motives compromise the education of young people and,
as a result, the future of humanity.
"A similarly essential role in the development of the person is played by
educational institutions. ... There is a need to implement educational
policies which ensure that schooling is available to everyone and which, in
addition to promoting the cognitive development of the individual, show
concern for a balanced personal growth, including openness to the
Transcendent. The Catholic Church has always been particularly active in the
field of education and schooling, making a valued contribution alongside
that of State institutions. It is my hope that this contribution will be
acknowledged and prized also by the legislation of the various nations.
"In this perspective. it is clear that an effective educational programme
also calls for respect for religious freedom. This freedom has individual,
collective and institutional dimensions. We are speaking of the first of
human rights, for it expresses the most fundamental reality of the person.
All too often, for various reasons, this right remains limited or is
flouted. I cannot raise this subject without first paying tribute to the
memory of the Pakistani Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, whose untiring battle for
the rights of minorities ended in his tragic death.
"Sadly, we are not speaking of an isolated case. In many countries
Christians are deprived of fundamental rights and sidelined from public
life; in other countries they endure violent attacks against their churches
and their homes. ... In other parts of the world, we see policies aimed at
marginalising the role of religion in the life of society, as if it were a
cause of intolerance rather than a valued contribution to education in
respect for human dignity, justice and peace. In the past year religiously
motivated terrorism has also reaped numerous victims, especially in Asia and
in Africa. ... Religion cannot be employed as a pretext for setting aside
the rules of justice and of law for the sake of the intended 'good'".
"I would also like to bring up several encouraging signs in the area of
religious freedom. I am referring to the legislative amendment whereby the
public juridical personality of religious minorities was recognised in
Georgia; I think too of the sentence of the European Court of Human Rights
upholding the presence of the crucifix in Italian schoolrooms. ... I hope
that Italy will continue to foster a stable relationship between Church and
State, and thus serve as an example to which other nations can look with
respect and interest.
"On the continent of Africa ... it is essential that cooperation between
Christian communities and governments favour progress along the path of
justice, peace and reconciliation, where respect is shown for members of all
ethnic groups and all religions. It is painful to realise that in different
countries of the continent this goal remains distant. I think in particular
of the renewed outbreak of violence in Nigeria, ... the aftermath of the
civil war in Cote d'Ivoire, the continuing instability in the Great Lakes
region and the humanitarian emergency in the countries of the Horn of
Africa. I once again appeal to the international community to make every
effort to find a solution to the crisis which has gone on for years in
Somalia.
"Finally I would stress that education, correctly understood, cannot fail
to foster respect for creation. We cannot disregard the grave natural
calamities which in 2011 affected various regions of South-East Asia, or
ecological disasters like that of the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan.
Environmental protection and the connection between fighting poverty and
fighting climate change are important areas for the promotion of integral
human development. For this reason, I hope that, pursuant to the seventeenth
session of the Conference of States Parties to the UN Convention on Climate
Change recently concluded in Durban, the international community will
prepare for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio + 20) as an
authentic 'family of nations' and thus with a great sense of solidarity and
responsibility towards present and future generations".
"Inspired by the certainty of faith, the Holy See continues to offer its
proper contribution to the international community in accordance with the
twofold desire clearly enunciated by Vatican Council II, whose fiftieth
anniversary takes place this year: to proclaim the lofty grandeur of our
human calling and the presence within us of a divine seed, and to offer
humanity sincere cooperation in building a sense of universal fraternity
corresponding to this calling".
CD/ VIS
20120109 (1990)
_____________________________________________
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)
|
