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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
ANNO XXI - N° 32
DATA 13-02-2012
Summary:
- MESSAGE FOR WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS: "THE GIFT OF THE LOVE OF GOD"
- GOD'S LOVE IS STRONGER THAT ANY EVIL
- APPEAL FOR AN END TO VIOLENCE IN SYRIA
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
___________________________________________________________
MESSAGE FOR WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS: "THE GIFT OF THE LOVE OF GOD"
Vatican City, 13 February 2012 (VIS) - The Pope's Message for the forth-ninth
World Day of Prayer for Vocations was made public today. The Day is due to be
celebrated on 29 April, fourth Sunday of Easter, and the theme of Benedict
XVI's reflections this
year is: "Vocations, the Gift of the Love of God". Ample extracts of the
English-language version of the document are given below:
'The source of every perfect gift is God who is Love – Deus caritas est:
'Whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him'. Sacred Scripture
tells the story of this original bond between God and man, which precedes
creation itself. ... We
are loved by God even 'before' we come into existence! Moved solely by His
unconditional love, He created us 'not out of existing things', to bring us
into full communion with Him".
"The profound truth of our existence is thus contained in this surprising
mystery: every creature, and in particular every human person, is the fruit of
God’s thought and an act of His love, a love that is boundless, faithful
and everlasting. The
discovery of this reality is what truly and profoundly changes our lives".
"It is a love that is limitless and that precedes us, sustains us and calls us
along the path of life, a love rooted in an absolutely free gift of God.
Speaking particularly of the ministerial priesthood, my predecessor, Blessed
John Paul II, stated
that 'every ministerial action ... provides an incentive to grow in ever
greater love and service of Jesus Christ, ... a love which is always a
response to the free and unsolicited love of God in Christ'. Every specific
vocation is in fact born of the
initiative of God; it is a gift of the Love of God! He is the One Who takes
the 'first step', ... because of the presence of His own love 'poured out into
our hearts through the Holy Spirit'.
"In every age, the source of the divine call is to be found in the initiative
of the infinite love of God, Who reveals Himself fully in Jesus Christ. As I
wrote in my first Encyclical, Deus Caritas Est, 'God is indeed visible in a
number of ways. In the
love-story recounted by the Bible, He comes towards us, He seeks to win our
hearts, all the way to the Last Supper, to the piercing of His heart on the
Cross, to His appearances after the Resurrection and to the great deeds by
which, through the
activity of the Apostles, He guided the nascent Church along its path'".
"The love of God is everlasting; He is faithful to Himself. ... Yet the
appealing beauty of this divine love, which precedes and accompanies us, needs
to be proclaimed ever anew, especially to younger generations. This divine
love is the hidden impulse,
the motivation which never fails, even in the most difficult circumstances.
... We need to open our lives to this love. It is to the perfection of the
Father’s love that Jesus Christ calls us every day! The high standard of
the Christian life
consists in loving 'as' God loves; with a love that is shown in the total,
faithful and fruitful gift of self".
"It is in this soil of self-offering and openness to the love of God, and as
the fruit of that love, that all vocations are born and grow. By drawing from
this wellspring through prayer, constant recourse to God’s word and to
the Sacraments,
especially the Eucharist, it becomes possible to live a life of love for our
neighbours, in whom we come to perceive the face of Christ the Lord".
"These two expressions of the one divine love must be lived with a particular
intensity and purity of heart by those who have decided to set out on the path
of vocation discernment towards the ministerial priesthood and the consecrated
life; they are
its distinguishing mark. Love of God, which priests and consecrated persons
are called to mirror, however imperfectly, is the motivation for answering the
Lord’s call to special consecration through priestly ordination or the
profession of the
evangelical counsels. St. Peter’s vehement reply to the Divine Master:
'Yes, Lord, you know that I love you' contains the secret of a life fully
given and lived out, and thus one which is deeply joyful.
"The other practical expression of love, that towards our neighbour, and
especially those who suffer and are in greatest need, is the decisive impulse
that leads the priest and the consecrated person to be a builder of communion
between people and a
sower of hope. The relationship of consecrated persons, and especially of the
priest, to the Christian community is vital and becomes a fundamental
dimension of their affectivity".
"Dear brother bishops, dear priests, deacons, consecrated men and women,
catechists, pastoral workers and all of you who are engaged in the field of
educating young people: I fervently exhort you to pay close attention to those
members of parish
communities, associations and ecclesial movements who sense a call to the
priesthood or to a special consecration. It is important for the Church to
create the conditions that will permit many young people to say 'yes' in
generous response to
God’s loving call.
"The task of fostering vocations will be to provide helpful guidance and
direction along the way. Central to this should be love of God’s word
nourished by a growing familiarity with Sacred Scripture, and attentive and
unceasing prayer, both
personal and in community; this will make it possible to hear God’s call
amid all the voices of daily life. But above all, the Eucharist should be the
heart of every vocational journey: it is here that the love of God touches us
in Christ’s
sacrifice. ... Scripture, prayer and the Eucharist are the precious treasure
enabling us to grasp the beauty of a life spent fully in service of the
Kingdom.
"It is my hope that the local Churches ... will become places where vocations
are carefully discerned and their authenticity tested, places where young men
and women are offered wise and strong spiritual direction. ... As a response
to the demands of
the new commandment of Jesus, this can find eloquent and particular
realisation in Christian families, whose love is an expression of the love of
Christ Who gave himself for His Church. Within the family ... young people can
have a wonderful experience
of this self-giving love. Indeed, families are not only the privileged place
for human and Christian formation; they can also be 'the primary and most
excellent seed-bed of vocations to a life of consecration to the Kingdom of
God', by helping their
members to see, precisely within the family, the beauty and the importance of
the priesthood and the consecrated life. May pastors and all the lay faithful
always cooperate so that in the Church these 'homes and schools of communion'
ma
y
multiply, modelled on the Holy Family of Nazareth, the harmonious reflection
on earth of the life of the Most Holy Trinity".
"I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing to all of you, ... and especially
those young men and women who strive to listen with a docile heart to
God’s voice and are ready to respond generously and faithfully".
___________________________________________________________
GOD'S LOVE IS STRONGER THAT ANY EVIL
Vatican City, 12 February 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 faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square below. Benedict XVI
introduced the Marian prayer
by recalling how "Jesus, in His public life, healed many sick people, thus
revealing that what God wants for man is life, life in abundance".
Today's Gospel reading shows us Jesus "in contact with a form of sickness
considered at that time to be the most serious", leprosy, which made the
sufferer "unclean" and excluded him from social life. While Jesus was
preaching in Galilee a leper came up
to Him asking to be healed. "Jesus did not seek to avoid contact with the man.
Quite the contrary, moved by intimate concern for his condition, He stretched
out His hand - breaking the legal proscription - and said: 'I do choose. Be
made clean'.
Christ's gesture and words encapsulate the entire history of salvation, they
incarnate God's will to heal us, to purify us from the evil which disfigures
us and blights our relationships.
"That contact between Jesus' hand and the leper broke down all barriers
between God and human impurity; between the sacred and its opposite, certainly
not in order to deny evil and its negative power but to demonstrate that the
love of God is stronger
than all evil, even the most contagious and terrible. Jesus took our
infirmities upon Himself. He became a 'leper' that we might be purified. ...
The victory of Christ is our profound healing and our resurrection to a new
life".
In closing, Benedict XVI encouraged the faithful to pray to the Virgin Mary.
"Through His Mother, it is always Jesus Who comes to us, to free us from all
sickness of body and soul. Let us allow ourselves to be touched and purified
by Him, and let us
show mercy to our fellows".
___________________________________________________________
APPEAL FOR AN END TO VIOLENCE IN SYRIA
Vatican City, 12 February 2012 (VIS) - "It is with great concern that I am
following the dramatic and increasing violence in Syria", said the Pope this
morning after praying the Angelus. "In recent days there have been many
victims, some of them
children. I recall them all in my prayers, just as I do the wounded and those
who are suffering the consequences of an increasingly worrying conflict. I
also renew my urgent appeal to put an end to the violence and bloodshed and,
finally, invite
everyone - particularly the Syrian authorities - to favour the paths of
dialogue, reconciliation and commitment to peace. It is vital to respond to
the legitimate aspirations of the various components of the nation, and to the
hopes of the international
community, which is concerned for the common good of society as a whole, and
of the region".
___________________________________________________________
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 11 February 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Archbishop Romulo G. Valles of Zamboanga, Philippines, as
metropolitan archbishop of Davao (area 2,443, population 1,477,000, Catholics
1,185,000, priests 157,religious 809), Philippines. He succeeds Archbishop
Fernando R. Capalla, whose
resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father
accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Bishop Nicolas Brouwet, auxiliary of Nanterre, France, as bishop
of Tarbes et Lourdes (area 4,535, population 229,000, Catholics 151,000,
priests 168, permanent deacons 14, religious 520), France. He succeeds Bishop
Jacques Perrier, whose
resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father
accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Bishop Jonas Ivanauskas, auxiliary of the archdiocese of Kaunas,
Lithuania, as bishop of Kaisiadorys (area 6,557, population 174,000, Catholics
141,200, priests 61, religious 27), Lithuania. He succeeds Bishop Juozas
Matulaitis, whose
resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father
accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Fr. Linas Vodopjanovas O.F.M., pastor of Kretinga in the diocese
of Telsiai, Lithuania, and vice provincial for the Lithuanian Province of "St.
Casimir" of the Friars Minor, as auxiliary of Telsiai (area 13,373, population
725,900, Catholics
581,000, priests 157, religious 52). The bishop-elect was born in Neringa,
Lithuania in 1973 and ordained a priest in 2000. He studied in Italy and has
held a number of positions in his order, including that of master of novices.
- Appointed Fr. Pierre Claver Malgo, former rector of the major interdiocesan
seminary of "Saint-Jean-Baptist" in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, as bishop of
Fada-N'Gourma (area 47,681, population 1,274,000, Catholics 96,891, priests
49, religious 99),
Burkina Faso. The bishop-elect was born in Dimistenga, Burkina Faso in 1954
and ordained a priest in 1984. He studied in his own country and in Cote
d'Ivoire and, among other duties, has served as a pastor in France.
- Erected the new diocese of Tenkodogo (area 10,777, population 954,377,
Catholics 138,212, priests 50, religious 26) Burkina Faso, with territory
taken from the diocese of Fada-N'Gourma and the archdiocese of Koupela, making
it a suffragan of the
metropolitan church of Koupela. He appointed Fr. Prosper Kontiebo M.I., vice
provincial of the Camillian Fathers in Burkina Faso, as first bishop of the
new diocese. The bishop-elect was born in Boassa, Burkina Faso in 1960 and
ordained a priest in
1990. He studied professional nursing and has worked in his order as formator
and bursar.
- Erected the new apostolic prefecture of Robe (area 116,221, population
2,737,512, Catholics 2,000, priests 5, religious 13) Ethiopia, with territory
taken from the apostolic vicariate of Meki. He appointed Fr. Angelo Antolini
O.F.M. Cap., episcopal
vicar for the region of Robe and national director of the Pontifical
Missionary Works in Ethiopia, as first apostolic prefect of the new prefecture.
___________________________________________________________
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VISnews120213
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE ANNO XXI - N° 32DATA 13-02-2012
Summary: - MESSAGE FOR WORLD DAY OF PRAYER
FOR VOCATIONS: "THE GIFT OF THE
LOVE OF GOD" - GOD'S LOVE IS STRONGER THAT ANY EVIL - APPEAL FOR
AN END TO VIOLENCE IN SYRIA - OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS ___________________________________________________________
MESSAGE FOR WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS: "THE GIFT OF THE LOVE OF
GOD"
Vatican City, 13 February 2012 (VIS) - The Pope's Message for the
forth-ninth World Day of Prayer for Vocations was made public today. The Day
is due to be celebrated on 29 April, fourth Sunday of Easter, and the theme of
Benedict XVI's reflections
this year is: "Vocations, the Gift of the Love of God". Ample extracts of the
English-language version of the document are given below:
'The source of every perfect gift is God who is Love – Deus caritas
est: 'Whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him'. Sacred Scripture
tells the story of this original bond between God and man, which precedes
creation itself. ... We
are loved by God even 'before' we come into existence! Moved solely by His
unconditional love, He created us 'not out of existing things', to bring us
into full communion with Him".
"The profound truth of our existence is thus contained in this surprising
mystery: every creature, and in particular every human person, is the fruit of
God’s thought and an act of His love, a love that is boundless, faithful
and everlasting.
The discovery of this reality is what truly and profoundly changes our
lives".
"It is a love that is limitless and that precedes us, sustains us and calls
us along the path of life, a love rooted in an absolutely free gift of God.
Speaking particularly of the ministerial priesthood, my predecessor, Blessed
John Paul II, stated
that 'every ministerial action ... provides an incentive to grow in ever
greater love and service of Jesus Christ, ... a love which is always a
response to the free and unsolicited love of God in Christ'. Every specific
vocation is in fact born of the
initiative of God; it is a gift of the Love of God! He is the One Who takes
the 'first step', ... because of the presence of His own love 'poured out into
our hearts through the Holy Spirit'.
"In every age, the source of the divine call is to be found in the
initiative of the infinite love of God, Who reveals Himself fully in Jesus
Christ. As I wrote in my first Encyclical, Deus Caritas Est, 'God is indeed
visible in a number of ways. In
the love-story recounted by the Bible, He comes towards us, He seeks to win
our hearts, all the way to the Last Supper, to the piercing of His heart on
the Cross, to His appearances after the Resurrection and to the great deeds by
which, through the
activity of the Apostles, He guided the nascent Church along its path'".
"The love of God is everlasting; He is faithful to Himself. ... Yet the
appealing beauty of this divine love, which precedes and accompanies us, needs
to be proclaimed ever anew, especially to younger generations. This divine
love is the hidden
impulse, the motivation which never fails, even in the most difficult
circumstances. ... We need to open our lives to this love. It is to the
perfection of the Father’s love that Jesus Christ calls us every day!
The high standard of the Christian
life consists in loving 'as' God loves; with a love that is shown in the
total, faithful and fruitful gift of self".
"It is in this soil of self-offering and openness to the love of God, and
as the fruit of that love, that all vocations are born and grow. By drawing
from this wellspring through prayer, constant recourse to God’s word and
to the Sacraments,
especially the Eucharist, it becomes possible to live a life of love for our
neighbours, in whom we come to perceive the face of Christ the Lord".
"These two expressions of the one divine love must be lived with a
particular intensity and purity of heart by those who have decided to set out
on the path of vocation discernment towards the ministerial priesthood and the
consecrated life; they are
its distinguishing mark. Love of God, which priests and consecrated persons
are called to mirror, however imperfectly, is the motivation for answering the
Lord’s call to special consecration through priestly ordination or the
profession of the
evangelical counsels. St. Peter’s vehement reply to the Divine Master:
'Yes, Lord, you know that I love you' contains the secret of a life fully
given and lived out, and thus one which is deeply joyful.
"The other practical expression of love, that towards our neighbour, and
especially those who suffer and are in greatest need, is the decisive impulse
that leads the priest and the consecrated person to be a builder of communion
between people and a
sower of hope. The relationship of consecrated persons, and especially of the
priest, to the Christian community is vital and becomes a fundamental
dimension of their affectivity".
"Dear brother bishops, dear priests, deacons, consecrated men and women,
catechists, pastoral workers and all of you who are engaged in the field of
educating young people: I fervently exhort you to pay close attention to those
members of parish
communities, associations and ecclesial movements who sense a call to the
priesthood or to a special consecration. It is important for the Church to
create the conditions that will permit many young people to say 'yes' in
generous response to
God’s loving call.
"The task of fostering vocations will be to provide helpful guidance and
direction along the way. Central to this should be love of God’s word
nourished by a growing familiarity with Sacred Scripture, and attentive and
unceasing prayer, both
personal and in community; this will make it possible to hear God’s call
amid all the voices of daily life. But above all, the Eucharist should be the
heart of every vocational journey: it is here that the love of God touches us
in Christ’s
sacrifice. ... Scripture, prayer and the Eucharist are the precious treasure
enabling us to grasp the beauty of a life spent fully in service of the
Kingdom.
"It is my hope that the local Churches ... will become places where
vocations are carefully discerned and their authenticity tested, places where
young men and women are offered wise and strong spiritual direction. ... As a
response to the demands of
the new commandment of Jesus, this can find eloquent and particular
realisation in Christian families, whose love is an expression of the love of
Christ Who gave himself for His Church. Within the family ... young people can
have a wonderful experience
of this self-giving love. Indeed, families are not only the privileged place
for human and Christian formation; they can also be 'the primary and most
excellent seed-bed of vocations to a life of consecration to the Kingdom of
God', by helping their
members to see, precisely within the family, the beauty and the importance of
the priesthood and the consecrated life. May pastors and all the lay faithful
always cooperate so that in the Church these 'homes and
schools of communion' may multiply, modelled on the Holy Family of Nazareth,
the harmonious reflection on earth of the life of the Most Holy Trinity".
"I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing to all of you, ... and especially
those young men and women who strive to listen with a docile heart to
God’s voice and are ready to respond generously and faithfully".
Vatican City, 12 February 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 faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square below. Benedict XVI
introduced the Marian
prayer by recalling how "Jesus, in His public life, healed many sick people,
thus revealing that what God wants for man is life, life in abundance".
Today's Gospel reading shows us Jesus "in contact with a form of sickness
considered at that time to be the most serious", leprosy, which made the
sufferer "unclean" and excluded him from social life. While Jesus was
preaching in Galilee a leper came
up to Him asking to be healed. "Jesus did not seek to avoid contact with the
man. Quite the contrary, moved by intimate concern for his condition, He
stretched out His hand - breaking the legal proscription - and said: 'I do
choose. Be made clean'.
Christ's gesture and words encapsulate the entire history of salvation, they
incarnate God's will to heal us, to purify us from the evil which disfigures
us and blights our relationships.
"That contact between Jesus' hand and the leper broke down all barriers
between God and human impurity; between the sacred and its opposite, certainly
not in order to deny evil and its negative power but to demonstrate that the
love of God is
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* Origin: NetMgr+ @ Sursum Corda! BBS Meridian MS USA (1:396/45)
