Subject: VISnews 120130
Organization: VIS
From: Vatican Information Service - Eng - txt
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
TWENTY SECOND YEAR - N. 21
ENGLISH
MONDAY, 30 JANUARY 2012
SUMMARY: 28 - 30 JANUARY
- In the Logic of God Authority Means Service, Not Power
- Holy See Delegation Meets with the PLO
- Telegram for Death of Former Italian President Scalfaro
- Meeting of Heads of Dicastery of Roman Curia
- Audiences
___________________________________________________________
IN THE LOGIC OF GOD AUTHORITY MEANS SERVICE, NOT POWER
VATICAN CITY, 29 JAN 2012 (VIS) - At midday today the Holy Father appeared
at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to pray the
Angelus with pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square below. Among those
present was a group of children from Catholic Action of the diocese of Rome,
who annually celebrate January as the "month of peace". At the end of the
Marian prayer two of the children read out a message and released two doves,
as a symbol of peace, from the Pope's window.
Benedict XVI introduced the prayer with some brief remarks on today's
Gospel reading in which St. Mark relates Jesus' teaching in the synagogue of
Capernaum, and the healing of a man with an "unclean spirit" who recognises
the Messiah. "Within a short time", the Pope explained, "Jesus' fame began
to spread in the region, throughout which he travelled announcing the
Kingdom of God and healing sick people of all kinds: word and action. ...
The words Jesus addresses to mankind give direct access to the Father's will
and to the truth about ourselves" while, moreover, "Jesus united the
effectiveness of the Word with those signs of deliverance from evil. ...
Divine authority ... is the power of God's love which created the universe
and, becoming incarnate in the only-begotten Son, descended upon our
humanity and healed the world corrupted by sin".
"For man", the Holy Father observed, "authority often means possession,
power, dominion, success. For God, however, authority means service,
humility, love. It means entering into the logic of Jesus Christ Who leans
down to wash the feet of His disciples, Who seeks man's authentic good, Who
heals wounds, Who is capable of a love so great as to give His life, because
He is Love. ... Let us trustingly invoke Most Holy Mary that she may guide
our hearts always to draw from the well of divine mercy, which liberates and
heals our human condition, filling it with all grace and benevolence, with
the power of love".
After praying the Angelus, the Holy Father mentioned three events which
took place today. Firstly, the beatification in Vienna of Hildegard Burjan,
"laywoman and mother who lived between the nineteenth and twentieth
centuries and founded the Sisters of Social Charity. Let us give praise to
the Lord for this magnificent witness to the Gospel", the Pope said.
Today is also World Leprosy Day, in which context Benedict XVI spoke of
his desire "to express encouragement to everyone affected by the disease,
and to the people who assist them and who, in various ways, strive to
eliminate the poverty and marginalisation which are the true causes of its
continuance".
Finally, today also marks the International Day of Intercession for Peace
in the Holy Land. "In profound communion with the Latin Patriarch of
Jerusalem and the Custos of the Holy Land, we invoke the gift of peace for
that Land blessed by God", Pope Benedict said.
The Holy Father then greeted pilgrims in various languages. Addressing
faithful from Poland, he mentioned the fact that Thursday 2 February is the
World Day of Consecrated Life. "Grateful to religious for their ministry of
prayer, for their apostolic and charitable activity in the Church, we pray
for new vocations", he said. "May the Holy Spirit arouse in many hearts the
desire for complete dedication to Christ".
ANG/ VIS
20120130 (570)
HOLY SEE DELEGATION MEETS WITH THE PLO
VATICAN CITY, 30 JAN 2012 (VIS) - Made public today was a joint communique
on a bilateral meeting between the Holy See and the Palestine Liberation
Organisation, held in Ramallah on 28 January. The text of the
English-language communique is given below.
"Following the resumption of the bilateral negotiations between the Holy
See and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), an official meeting
took place at the headquarters of the Palestinian President in Ramallah on
28 January.
"The talks were co-chaired by Msgr. Ettore Balestrero, under secretary for
the Holy See's relations with States and Minister Ziad Al-Bandak, the
Palestinian President's advisor for Christian relations.
"The Palestinian side handed to the Holy See delegation the response to
the draft agreement proposed by the Holy See in the previous meeting, and
the talks took place in a positive atmosphere to strengthen further the
special relations between the two sides. The delegations agreed to set up
technical teams to follow up on the draft, in preparation of the plenary
session in the Vatican in the near future.
"The Holy See delegation was composed of Archbishop Antonio Franco,
Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine; Msgr. Maurizio Malvestiti,
under secretary of the Congregation for Oriental Churches;Msgr. Alberto
Ortega, official of the Secretariat of the State of the Holy See, and Msgr.
Waldemar Stanislaw Sommertag, counsellor of the apostolic delegation in
Jerusalem.
"The Palestinian delegation was composed of Dr. Nabil Shaath, member of
the Fatah Central Committee; Dr. Bernard Sabella, member of the Palestinian
Legislative Council; Mr. Issa Kassissieh, deputy head of the PLO's
Negotiations Affairs Department, and Mr. Wassim Khazmo, policy advisor at
the PLO's Negotiations Support Unit".
OP/ VIS
20120130 (280)
TELEGRAM FOR DEATH OF FORMER ITALIAN PRESIDENT SCALFARO
VATICAN CITY, 30 JAN 2012 (VIS) - Benedict XVI has sent a telegram of
condolence to Marianna Scalfaro for the death of her father, Oscar Luigi
Scalfaro, former president of the Republic of Italy who died on 29 January
at the age of 93. The Holy Father expresses his spiritual closeness during
this time of grief, then continues:
"I wish to offer my heartfelt condolences, and to give assurances of my
sincere participation in your sorrow, which also affects the entire nation
of Italy. It is with great affection and particular gratitude that I recall
this Catholic statesman, scrupulous magistrate and faithful servant of the
institutions who, in the public offices he held, always strove to promote
the common good, and the perennial ethical and religious values of
Christianity which characterise the historical and civil traditions of
Italy. I raise fervent prayers for his soul, invoking divine goodness - by
the intercession of the Virgin Mary for whom he had particular veneration -
to grant him eternal peace, and I impart upon you and all his relatives the
comfort of an apostolic blessing".
TGR/ VIS
20120130 (200)
MEETING OF HEADS OF DICASTERY OF ROMAN CURIA
VATICAN CITY, 28 JAN 2012 (VIS) - This morning in the Apostolic Palace of
the Vatican, Benedict XVI presided at a meeting of heads of dicasteries of
the Roman Curia.
.../ VIS
20120130 (40)
AUDIENCES
VATICAN CITY, 30 JAN 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in
audience:
- Archbishop Fernando Filoni, prefect of the Congregation for the
Evangelisation of Peoples.
- Bishop Javier Echevarria Rodriguez, prelate of the Personal Prelature of
Opus Dei.
- Fr. Richard Schenk O.P., president of the "Katholische Universitat
Eichstatt-Ingolstadt".
AP/ VIS
20120130 (60)
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