Subject: VISnews120306
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
ANNO XXII - N° 50
DATA 06-03-2012
Summary:
- TELEGRAMS FOR RAIL ACCIDENT IN POLAND AND EXPLOSIONS IN CONGO
- SEVENTY PER CENT OF WORLD POPULATION LIVE IN COUNTRIES WITH HIGH
RESTRICTIONS ON RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
- WESTMINSTER ABBEY CHOIR TO SING IN ST. PETER'S
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
___________________________________________________________
TELEGRAMS FOR RAIL ACCIDENT IN POLAND AND EXPLOSIONS IN CONGO
Vatican City, (VIS) - The Holy Father, through Cardinal Secretary of State
Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B., has sent a telegram of condolence to Archbishop Jozef
Michalik, president of the Polish Episcopal Conference, for the victims of the
3 March train crash
at Szczekociny near Zawiercie, which killed fifteen people and left many
others injured.
In the telegram, the Pope makes known his sadness on hearing the news and his
spiritual closeness to everyone affected by the tragedy. He also gives
assurances of his prayers for the victims and shares the mourning of families
and of the entire nation.
He implores divine mercy and eternal life for the deceased and wishes a speedy
recovery to the injured. He also asks for the gift of courage and peace for
those who suffer and comforts them with the words of St. Paul to the
Thessalonians: "Since we
believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring
with him those who have died".
The Holy Father has likewise sent a telegram, also through Cardinal Bertone,
to Archbishop Louis Portella-Mbuyu, president of the Episcopal Conference of
Congo, for the death of more than 200 people in Brazzaville in the wake of a
series of explosions
in an arms depot.
Having been informed of this "tragic catastrophe" the Holy Father expresses
his profound condolence to the families and friends of the victims, and asks
the Lord to welcome the deceased into His peace and light. The Pope also
expresses his thanks for
the efforts of rescue workers and appeals to God to bring "consolation and
hope" to the injured and to everyone affected by this dramatic event.
___________________________________________________________
SEVENTY PER CENT OF WORLD POPULATION LIVE IN COUNTRIES WITH HIGH RESTRICTIONS
ON RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
Vatican City, (VIS) - "Terrorist attacks on Christians in Africa, the Middle
East and Asia increased 309 per cent between 2003 and 2010. Approximately 70
per cent of the world’s population lives in countries with high
restrictions on religious
beliefs and practices, and religious minorities pay the highest price". These
words were pronounced on 1 March by Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi C.S.,
permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations at Geneva, during the
course of the nineteenth
ordinary session of the Human Rights Council.
Speaking English, Archbishop Tomasi recalled how, "in general, rising
restrictions on religion affect more than 2.2 billion people. Those affected
have either lost the protection of their societies or have experienced some
government-imposed and unjust
restrictions, or have become victims of violence resulting from an impulsive
bigotry".
Among the causes of this phenomenon, the archbishop mentioned "the evolving
political situation, wrong perceptions of the role of religion, expediency,
and subtle ambiguities in the understanding of secularism". In the current
situation, it is vital for
the international community "to assure the protection of people in their
exercise of freedom of religion and religious practice".
In this context, the Holy See observer noted that States must guarantee all
their citizens the right to religious freedom, at both the individual and
community level. Freedom of religion is not a derived or granted right, "but a
fundamental and
inalienable right of the human person. ... The task of government is not to
define religion, ... but to confer upon faith communities a juridical
personality so that they can function peacefully within a legal framework.
"Respect for the religious freedom of everyone may be at stake in places where
the concept of “State religion” is recognised, especially when the
latter becomes the source of unjust treatment of others, whether they believe
in other faiths
or have none".
The archbishop went on: "Above the institutional considerations, the critical
problem facing the promotion and protection of human rights in the area of
religious freedom is the intolerance that leads to violence and to the killing
of many innocent
people each year simply because of their religious convictions. The realistic
and collective responsibility, therefore, is to sustain mutual tolerance and
respect of human rights and a greater equality among citizens of different
religions in order to
achieve a healthy democracy where the public role of religion and the
distinction between religious and temporal spheres are recognised. ... But to
achieve this desirable goal, there is a need to overcome a culture that
devalues the human person and is
intent on eliminating religion from public life".
"Religions are not a threat, but a resource", he said. "They contribute to the
development of civilisations, and this is good for everyone. Their freedom and
activities should be protected so that the partnership between religious
beliefs and societies
may enhance the common good. ... The educational system and the media have a
major role to play by excluding prejudice and hatred from textbooks, from
newscasts and from newspapers, and by disseminating accurate and fair
information on all component
groups of society.
"But lack of education and information, that facilitates an easier
manipulation of people for political advantages, is too often linked to
underdevelopment, poverty, lack of access to effective participation in the
management of society. Greater social
justice provides fertile ground for the implementation of all human rights.
Religions are communities based on convictions and their freedom guarantees a
contribution of moral values without which the freedom of everyone is not
possible. For this
reason", Archbishop Tomasi concluded, "it becomes an urgent and beneficial
responsibility of the international community to counteract the trend of
increasing violence against religious groups and of mistaken and deceptive
neutrality that in fact aims
at neutralising religion".
___________________________________________________________
WESTMINSTER ABBEY CHOIR TO SING IN ST. PETER'S
Vatican City, (VIS) - The Choir of Westminster Abbey in London, England, is
due to sing alongside the "Cappella Musicale Pontificia", or Sistine Choir, on
29 June, in an event which will be broadcast across the world. The Westminster
Choir has been
invited to the Holy See through Msgr. Massimo Palombella, director of the
Sistine Choir.
A joint communique made public today notes that "this momentous ecumenical
occasion is the first time in its over-500 year history that the Sistine
Chapel Choir has joined forces with another choir. The invitation to Rome came
after Pope Benedict XVI
visited the Abbey in September 2010 when he attended Evening Prayer and prayed
at the tomb of St. Edward the Confessor with Archbishop Rowan Williams of
Canterbury, as part of his State visit to England and Scotland".
Speaking about the forthcoming visit, the primate of the Anglican Church has
highlighted how St. Peter is patron of both the Vatican Basilica and of
Westminster Abbey, therefore "celebrating together his apostolic witness and
example is a powerful
reminder of the call that our Churches share to be faithful to the apostolic
fullness of the Gospel today".
The two choirs will together sing at First Vespers in the Basilica of St.
Paul's Outside-the-Walls on 28 June, and at Mass in the Vatican Basilica on
the morning of 29 June. The Westminster Abbey Choir will also travel to the
Benedictine monastery at
Montecassino to sing Vespers and Mass with the monastic community at the
burial place of St Benedict. It was Benedictine monks who established a
tradition of daily worship which continues to this day in Westminster Abbey,
founded in the year 960.
___________________________________________________________
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 6 March 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father erected the new eparchy of
Faridabad of the Syro-Malabars (priests 44, religious 200) India. He appointed
Msgr. Kuriakose Bharanikulangara of the clergy of Ernakulam-Angamaly of the
Syro-Malabars,
India, counsellor of the apostolic nunciature to Germany, as first bishop of
the new diocese, conferring upon him the title of archbishop "ad personam".
The archbishop-elect was born in Karippassery, India in 1959 and ordained a
priest in 1983. He
studied in Rome before entering the diplomatic service of the Holy See, with
which he has served in a number of different countries.
___________________________________________________________
Per ulteriori informazioni e per la ricerca di documenti consultare il
sito: www.wisnews.org e www.vatican.va
Il servizio del VIS viene inviato soltanto agli indirizzi di posta
elettronica che ne hanno fatto richiesta. Se per qualunque motivo
non si desidera continuare a riceverlo, si prega di visitare nostra pagina
dinizio:
http://212.77.1.245/news_services/press/vis/italinde.php
Copyright (VIS): Le notizie contenute nei servizi del Vatican
Information Service possono essere riprodotte parzialmente o totalmente
citando la fonte: V.I.S. - Vatican Information Service.
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Content-type: text/html; CHARSETUS-ASCII
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
VISnews120306
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE ANNO XXII - N° 50DATA 06-03-2012
Summary: - TELEGRAMS FOR RAIL ACCIDENT IN
POLAND AND EXPLOSIONS IN
CONGO - SEVENTY PER CENT OF WORLD POPULATION LIVE IN COUNTRIES WITH HIGH
RESTRICTIONS ON RELIGIOUS BELIEFS - WESTMINSTER ABBEY CHOIR TO SING IN
ST. PETER'S - OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS ___________________________________________________________
TELEGRAMS FOR RAIL ACCIDENT IN POLAND AND EXPLOSIONS IN CONGO
Vatican City, (VIS) - The Holy Father, through Cardinal Secretary of State
Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B., has sent a telegram of condolence to Archbishop Jozef
Michalik, president of the Polish Episcopal Conference, for the victims of the
3 March train
crash at Szczekociny near Zawiercie, which killed fifteen people and left many
others injured.
In the telegram, the Pope makes known his sadness on hearing the news and
his spiritual closeness to everyone affected by the tragedy. He also gives
assurances of his prayers for the victims and shares the mourning of families
and of the entire
nation. He implores divine mercy and eternal life for the deceased and wishes
a speedy recovery to the injured. He also asks for the gift of courage and
peace for those who suffer and comforts them with the words of St. Paul to the
Thessalonians: "Since
we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will
bring with him those who have died".
The Holy Father has likewise sent a telegram, also through Cardinal
Bertone, to Archbishop Louis Portella-Mbuyu, president of the Episcopal
Conference of Congo, for the death of more than 200 people in Brazzaville in
the wake of a series of
explosions in an arms depot.
Having been informed of this "tragic catastrophe" the Holy Father expresses
his profound condolence to the families and friends of the victims, and asks
the Lord to welcome the deceased into His peace and light. The Pope also
expresses his thanks for
the efforts of rescue workers and appeals to God to bring "consolation and
hope" to the injured and to everyone affected by this dramatic event.
SEVENTY PER CENT OF WORLD POPULATION LIVE IN COUNTRIES WITH HIGH
RESTRICTIONS ON RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
Vatican City, (VIS) - "Terrorist attacks on Christians in Africa, the
Middle East and Asia increased 309 per cent between 2003 and 2010.
Approximately 70 per cent of the world’s population lives in countries
with high restrictions on religious
beliefs and practices, and religious minorities pay the highest price". These
words were pronounced on 1 March by Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi C.S.,
permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations at Geneva, during the
course of the nineteenth
ordinary session of the Human Rights Council.
Speaking English, Archbishop Tomasi recalled how, "in general, rising
restrictions on religion affect more than 2.2 billion people. Those affected
have either lost the protection of their societies or have experienced some
government-imposed and
unjust restrictions, or have become victims of violence resulting from an
impulsive bigotry".
Among the causes of this phenomenon, the archbishop mentioned "the evolving
political situation, wrong perceptions of the role of religion, expediency,
and subtle ambiguities in the understanding of secularism". In the current
situation, it is vital
for the international community "to assure the protection of people in their
exercise of freedom of religion and religious practice".
In this context, the Holy See observer noted that States must guarantee all
their citizens the right to religious freedom, at both the individual and
community level. Freedom of religion is not a derived or granted right, "but a
fundamental and
inalienable right of the human person. ... The task of government is not to
define religion, ... but to confer upon faith communities a juridical
personality so that they can function peacefully within a legal framework.
"Respect for the religious freedom of everyone may be at stake in places
where the concept of “State religion” is recognised, especially
when the latter becomes the source of unjust treatment of others, whether they
believe in other
faiths or have none".
The archbishop went on: "Above the institutional considerations, the
critical problem facing the promotion and protection of human rights in the
area of religious freedom is the intolerance that leads to violence and to the
killing of many innocent
people each year simply because of their religious convictions. The realistic
and collective responsibility, therefore, is to sustain mutual tolerance and
respect of human rights and a greater equality among citizens of different
religions in order to
achieve a healthy democracy where the public role of religion and the
distinction between religious and temporal spheres are recognised. ... But to
achieve this desirable goal, there is a need to overcome a culture that
devalues the human person and is
intent on eliminating religion from public life".
"Religions are not a threat, but a resource", he said. "They contribute to
the development of civilisations, and this is good for everyone. Their freedom
and activities should be protected so that the partnership between religious
beliefs and
societies may enhance the common good. ... The educational system and the
media have a major role to play by excluding prejudice and hatred from
textbooks, from newscasts and from newspapers, and by disseminating accurate
and fair information on all
component groups of society.
"But lack of education and information, that facilitates an easier
manipulation of people for political advantages, is too often linked to
underdevelopment, poverty, lack of access to effective participation in the
management of society. Greater
social justice provides fertile ground for the implementation of all human
rights. Religions are communities based on convictions and their freedom
guarantees a contribution of moral values without which the freedom of
everyone is not possible. For this
reason", Archbishop Tomasi concluded, "it becomes an urgent and beneficial
responsibility of the international community to counteract the trend of
increasing violence against religious groups and of mistaken and deceptive
neutrality that in fact aims
at neutralising religion".
Vatican City, (VIS) - The Choir of Westminster Abbey in London, England,
is due to sing alongside the "Cappella Musicale Pontificia", or Sistine Choir,
on 29 June, in an event which will be broadcast across the world. The
Westminster Choir has been
invited to the Holy See through Msgr. Massimo Palombella, director of the
Sistine Choir.
A joint communique made public today notes that "this momentous ecumenical
occasion is the first time in its over-500 year history that the Sistine
Chapel Choir has joined forces with another choir. The invitation to Rome came
after Pope Benedict XVI
visited the Abbey in September 2010 when he attended Evening Prayer and prayed
at the tomb of St. Edward the Confessor with Archbishop Rowan Williams of
Canterbury, as part of his State visit to England and Scotland".
Speaking about the forthcoming visit, the primate of the Anglican Church
has highlighted how St. Peter is patron of both the Vatican Basilica and of
Westminster Abbey, therefore "celebrating together his apostolic witness and
example is a powerful
reminder of the call that our Churches share to be faithful to the apostolic
fullness of the Gospel today".
The two choirs will together sing at First Vespers in the Basilica of St.
Paul's Outside-the-Walls on 28 June, and at Mass in the Vatican Basilica on
the morning of 29 June. The Westminster Abbey Choir will also travel to the
Benedictine monastery at
Montecassino to sing Vespers and Mass with the monastic community at the
burial place of St Benedict. It was Benedictine monks who established a
tradition of daily worship which continues to this day in Westminster Abbey,
founded in the year 960.
Vatican City, 6 March 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father erected the new eparchy
of Faridabad of the Syro-Malabars (priests 44, religious 200) India. He
appointed Msgr. Kuriakose Bharanikulangara of the clergy of Ernakulam-Angamaly
of the Syro-Malabars,
India, counsellor of the apostolic nunciature to Germany, as first bishop of
the new diocese, conferring upon him the title of archbishop "ad personam".
The archbishop-elect was born in Karippassery, India in 1959 and ordained a
priest in 1983. He
studied in Rome before entering the diplomatic service of the Holy See, with
which he has served in a number of different countries.
Per ulteriori informazioni e per la ricerca di documenti consultare il
sito: www.wisnews.org e www.vatican.va Il servizio del
VIS viene inviato soltanto agli indirizzi di posta elettronica che ne
hanno
fatto richiesta. Se per qualunque motivo non si desidera continuare a
riceverlo, si prega di visitare nostra pagina dinizio: http://212.77.1.245/news_services/press/vi
/italinde.php
Copyright (VIS): Le notizie contenute nei servizi del Vatican
Information Service possono essere riprodotte parzialmente o totalmente
citando la fonte: V.I.S. - Vatican Information Service.
--Boundary_(ID_pv1yGLjgk7Wos1EWl/Gztg)--
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