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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - N° 63
DATE 24-03-2012
Summary:
- THE CHURCH IS NOT A POLITICAL PARTY BUT A MORAL ENTITY WHICH SIDES WITH
FREEDOM
- BENEDICT XVI ARRIVES IN MEXICO AS A PILGRIM OF FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE
- POPE'S VIDEO MESSAGE TO THE FRENCH CHURCH AS SHE MARKS ANNIVERSARY OF
VATICAN COUNCIL II
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
___________________________________________________________
THE CHURCH IS NOT A POLITICAL PARTY BUT A MORAL ENTITY WHICH SIDES WITH FREEDOM
Vatican City, 24 March 2012 (VIS) - Yesterday morning, before boarding his
flight for Mexico, Benedict XVI was greeted at Rome's Fiumicino airport by
Mario Monti, prime minister of Italy. Later, during the course of the journey,
the Holy Father
participated in the traditional in-flight press conference with the more than
seventy journalists accompanying him on the plane. He answered questions on a
wide range of subjects, from drug trafficking and violence in Mexico to the
social situation in
Cuba and new evangelisation on the Latin American continent.
The Pope noted that his journey was taking him in the footsteps of John Paul
II, who had made five visits to Mexico and one to Cuba, and that he hoped to
continue the work begun by his predecessor. "I share the joys and hopes, but
also the suffering and
difficulties" of the Mexican people, he said. "I am going to bring
encouragement but also to learn, to bring comfort in faith, hope and love; a
commitment to goodness and to the struggle against evil. Let us hope that the
Lord will help us".
A Mexican journalist asked the Pope how the Church in Mexico can help to
resolve the problem of drug trafficking, which has caused more than 50,000
deaths in the last five years. The Holy Father replied: "we are well aware of
the beauty of Mexico, but
also of this great problem of drug trafficking and violence. This is certainly
a great responsibility for the Catholic Church in a country that is 80 per
cent Catholic. We must do everything we can against this evil, which is so
destructive of humanity
and of our young people. The first thing is to announce God. God the judge.
God Who loves us, but Who asks us to abide in goodness and truth, and to
reject evil.
"Therefore, one great responsibility the Church has is to educate people to
moral responsibility and to unmask evil, to unmask the idolatry of money which
enslaves man. ... We must remember that men and women need the infinite. If
there is no God, they
replace Him by creating their own heavens, a seeming infinity which is really
only a lie. This is why it is so important for God to be present and
accessible. ... In this way the Church can unmask evil, making people aware of
God's goodness, His truth,
authentic infinity. This is the great duty facing the Church".
Another Mexican journalist pointed out that great social inequalities persist
in Latin America and that the at times the Catholic Church is not sufficiently
encouraged to intervene in this field.
"The Church must of course ask if she does enough for social justice on that
great continent", the Pope replied. "It is a question of conscience which we
must always pose ourselves. ... What must the Church do? What can she not do?
What must she not do?
The Church is not a political power, she is not a party but a moral entity, a
moral power. ... I reiterate what I have already said. The Church's first
concern is to educate minds in both individual and public ethics, thus
creating the necessary sense
of responsibility. Here perhaps there are some shortcomings. In Latin America,
as elsewhere, no small number of Catholics show a kind of schizophrenia
between individual and public morals. ... We must educate people to overcome
this schizophrenia,
educate them not only in ... individual morality, but also in public morality.
This we must seek to do with the social doctrine of the Church because, of
course, such public morality must be a reasonable morality, shared and
shareable b
y non
believers. We, of course, in the light of faith can better see many things
that are also visible to reason, but it is faith which serves to liberate
reason from the false interests that cloud it. Thus we must use social
doctrine to create fundamental
policy models, and so ... overcome these divisions".
Another journalist recalled the words used by John Paul II on his trip to
Cuba, "may Cuba open to the world and, and may the world open to Cuba", and
noted that many defenders of human rights had spoken out in anticipation of
Benedict XVI's visit to the
island.
The Pope reiterated the continuity of his ideas with the words of John Paul II
"which are still highly relevant". The visit marked, he said, "the beginning
of a journey of collaboration and constructive dialogue, a long journey which
requires patience
but which is moving forward. It is clear today that Marxist ideology as it was
conceived no longer responds to reality. ... In order to build a new society
new models must be discovered, patiently and constructively. In this process,
which requires
patience but also firmness, we wish to make our contribution in a spirit of
dialogue, in order to avoid traumas and facilitate the way to a fraternal and
just society for all people. Obviously, the Church is always on the side of
freedom, freedom of
conscience, freedom of religion. ... The faithful can also contribute to the
progress of this journey".
Finally the Holy Father responded to a question about new evangelisation in
Latin America, in the light of the Aparecida Conference.
"The path of new evangelisation began with Vatican Council II. This was the
fundamental intention of Blessed John XXIII, it was also emphasised by John
Paul II and its importance in a world undergoing such great changes has become
even more evident. The
Gospel must be expressed in new was. ... There is a condition which exists
throughout the world: secularisation, the absence of God, the difficulty of
seeing Him as a reality which concerns us. ... It is today, in the context of
modern day rationality,
that we can rediscover God as a fundamental guide for life, the fundamental
hope for life, the foundation of the values upon which our society rests. ...
I think it is very important to announce a God Who responds to our reason. ...
However, we also
have to take account of concrete reality. It is important to bear in mind
that, in Latin America as a whole, religion is a question not of reason but of
the heart. ... Yet this intuition of the heart must be linked to the
rationality
of
faith, and to the profundity of faith that goes beyond reason. We must not
lose the heart, but unite heart and reason, ... only in this way is the human
being complete".
___________________________________________________________
BENEDICT XVI ARRIVES IN MEXICO AS A PILGRIM OF FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE
Vatican City, 24 March 2012 (VIS) - Yesterday at 4.30 p.m. local time (11.30
p.m. in Rome), Benedict XVI landed at the international airport of Guanajuato
in the Mexican city of Leon, where he was greeted by Felipe Calderon Hinojosa,
president of
Mexico, and by Archbishop Jose Guadalupe Martin Rabago of Leon. Also present
were representatives of the civil authorities and the diplomatic corps, a
number of Mexican prelates and thousands of faithful including a choir and a
mariachi group who sang
for the Pope.
Following the salute of the flag and the playing of the national anthems of
Vatican City State and the United Mexican States, and after listening to an
address by President Calderon Hinojosa, the Holy Father pronounced his first
words on Mexican soil.
"I am very happy to be here", he said, "and I give thanks to God for allowing
me to realise the desire, kept in my heart for a long time; to confirm in the
faith the People of God of this great nation in their own land. The affection
of the Mexican
people for the Successor of Peter, whom they always remember in their prayers,
is well known. I say this here, considered to be the geographical centre of
your land, which my venerable predecessor, Blessed John Paul II, wanted to
visit during his first
apostolic journey. Although he was not able to come, on that occasion he left
a message of encouragement while flying over its airspace. I am happy to
repeat his words here on land among you: “I am grateful”, he said
in the message,
“to the faithful of El Bajio and Guanajuato for your affection towards
the Pope and your faithfulness to the Lord. May God be with you always”".
"With this brief visit, I wish to greet all Mexicans and to include all the
nations and peoples of Latin America, represented here by many bishops. Our
meeting in this place, where the majestic monument to Christ the King on Mount
Cubilete, gives
testimony to the deep roots of the Catholic faith among the Mexican people,
who receive His constant blessings in all their vicissitudes.
"Mexico, and the majority of Latin American nations, have been commemorating
in recent years the bicentennial of their independence. There have been many
religious celebrations in thanksgiving to God for this important and
significant moment. During
these celebrations, as in the Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome on
the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Most Holy Mary was invoked fervently, she
who gently showed how the Lord loves all people and gave Himself for them
without distinction. Our
Heavenly Mother has kept vigil over the faith of her children in the formation
of these nations and she continues to do so today as new challenges present
themselves.
"I come as a pilgrim of faith, of hope, and of love. I wish to confirm those
who believe in Christ in their faith, by strengthening and encouraging them to
revitalise their faith by listening to the Word of God, celebrating the
Sacraments and living
coherently. In this way, they will be able to share their faith with others as
missionaries to their brothers and sisters and to act as a leaven in society,
contributing to a respectful and peaceful coexistence based on the
incomparable dignity of every
human being, created by God, which no one has the right to forget or
disregard. This dignity is expressed especially in the fundamental right to
freedom of religion, in its full meaning and integrity.
"As a pilgrim of hope, I speak to them in the words of St. Paul: “But we
would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that
you may not grieve as others do who have no hope”. Confidence in God
offers the certainty
of meeting Him, of receiving His grace; the believer’s hope is based on
this. And, aware of this, we strive to transform the present structures and
events which are less than satisfactory and seem immovable or insurmountable,
while also helping
those who do not see meaning or a future in life. Yes, hope changes the
practical existence of each man and woman in a real way. ... Moreover, when it
takes root in a people, when it is shared, it shines as light that dispels the
darkness which blinds
and takes hold of us. This country and the entire continent are called to live
their hope in God as a profound conviction, transforming it into an attitude
of the heart and a practical commitment to walk together in the building of a b
etter
world".
"Together with faith and hope, the believer in Christ - indeed the whole
Church - lives and practises charity as an essential element of mission. In
its primary meaning, charity “is first of all the simple response to
immediate needs and specific
situations”, as we help those who suffer from hunger, lack shelter, or
are in need in some way in their life. Nobody is excluded on account of their
origin or belief from this mission of the Church, which does not compete with
other private or
public initiatives. In fact, the Church willingly works with those who pursue
the same ends. Nor does she have any aim other than doing good in an unselfish
and respectful way to those in need, who often lack signs of authentic love".
"In these days I will pray to the Lord and to Our Lady of Guadalupe for all of
you so that you may be true to the faith which you have received and to its
best traditions. I will pray especially for those in need, particularly for
those who suffer
because of old and new rivalries, resentments and all forms of violence. I
know that I am in a country which is proud of its hospitality and wishes no
one to feel unwelcome. I already knew this, and now I can see it and feel it
in my heart. I sincerely
hope that many Mexicans who live far from their homeland will feel the same
way and that nothing will cause them to forget it or to lose the wish to see
it growth in harmony and in authentic integral development".
Having concluded his address, the Holy Father travelled by popemobile to
Miraflores College where he spent the night.
___________________________________________________________
POPE'S VIDEO MESSAGE TO THE FRENCH CHURCH AS SHE MARKS ANNIVERSARY OF VATICAN
COUNCIL II
Vatican City, 24 March 2012 (VIS) - The French Episcopal Conference has
organised a meeting on the theme: "Joy and Hope, Fifty Years after Vatican
Council II". The event is being held in the French shrine of Lourdes on 24 and
25 March, and is being
attended by French bishops and some 2,500 lay people, religious and priests
from all over the country. For the occasion, Benedict XVI recorded a video
message which was projected this morning before the first session began.
Extracts of the message are
given below.
"Vatican Council II was a genuine sign of God for our time. If we know how to
interpret and accept it within the tradition of the Church, and under the
secure guidance of the Magisterium, it will become an increasingly important
driving force for the
future of the Church. For this reason I hope this anniversary will be - for
you and for the entire Church in France - an occasion of spiritual and
pastoral renewal".
"This renewal, which is part of a continuous and ongoing process, takes many
forms. For the Year of the Faith, to which I have called the entire Church, we
must seek a more conscious faith and renew our adherence to the Gospel. To
this end, we must
become increasingly open to the person of Christ, and rediscover the pleasure
of the Word of God in order to achieve a profound conversion of heart and walk
the paths of the world, proclaiming the Gospel of hope to the men and women of
our time, in
respectful dialogue with everyone. May this time of grace also make it
possible to consolidate communion within the great family of the Catholic
Church, and contribute to restoring unity among all Christians, which was one
of the main objectives of the
Council".
"The renewal of the Church also includes the witness of Christians' own lives,
that the Word of Truth the Lord left us may shine forth. If you approach
witnesses of faith such as St. Bernadette the humble seer of Lourdes, Pauline
Jaricot who gave new
missionary drive to the Church, and many others who have made the soil of
France fruitful, you will gain a deeper knowledge of Christ. ... St. Joan of
Arc, the sixth centenary of whose birth falls this year, is one shining
example. She brought the
Gospel into the most dramatic events of the history of France and of her time.
Rediscovering the joy of believing and the enthusiasm of communicating the
power and beauty of the faith is a fundamental challenge of the new
evangelisation to which the
whole Church is called".
___________________________________________________________
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 24 March 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed :
- Archbishop Santo Gangemi, apostolic nuncio to the Solomon Islands, also as
apostolic nuncio to Papua New Guinea.
- Msgr. Wieslaw Smigiel of the clergy of Pelplin, Poland, head of pastoral
theology at the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, as auxiliary of
Pelplin (area 12,890, population 780,000, Catholics 730,000, priests 569,
permanent deacons 1,
religious 292). The bishop-elect was born in Swiec nad Wilsa, Poland in 1969
and ordained a priest in 1994. He has worked in pastoral care and education,
as well as serving for two years as secretary and chaplain to the bishop of
Pelplin.
___________________________________________________________
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VISnews120324
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE YEAR XXII - N° 63DATE 24-03-2012
Summary: - THE CHURCH IS NOT A POLITICAL
PARTY BUT A MORAL ENTITY WHICH
SIDES WITH FREEDOM - BENEDICT XVI ARRIVES IN MEXICO AS A PILGRIM OF
FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE - POPE'S VIDEO MESSAGE TO THE FRENCH CHURCH AS SHE
MARKS ANNIVERSARY OF VATICAN COUNCIL II - OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS ___________________________________________________________
THE CHURCH IS NOT A POLITICAL PARTY BUT A MORAL ENTITY WHICH SIDES WITH
FREEDOM
Vatican City, 24 March 2012 (VIS) - Yesterday morning, before boarding his
flight for Mexico, Benedict XVI was greeted at Rome's Fiumicino airport by
Mario Monti, prime minister of Italy. Later, during the course of the journey,
the Holy Father
participated in the traditional in-flight press conference with the more than
seventy journalists accompanying him on the plane. He answered questions on a
wide range of subjects, from drug trafficking and violence in Mexico to the
social situation in
Cuba and new evangelisation on the Latin American continent.
The Pope noted that his journey was taking him in the footsteps of John
Paul II, who had made five visits to Mexico and one to Cuba, and that he hoped
to continue the work begun by his predecessor. "I share the joys and hopes,
but also the suffering
and difficulties" of the Mexican people, he said. "I am going to bring
encouragement but also to learn, to bring comfort in faith, hope and love; a
commitment to goodness and to the struggle against evil. Let us hope that the
Lord will help us".
A Mexican journalist asked the Pope how the Church in Mexico can help to
resolve the problem of drug trafficking, which has caused more than 50,000
deaths in the last five years. The Holy Father replied: "we are well aware of
the beauty of Mexico,
but also of this great problem of drug trafficking and violence. This is
certainly a great responsibility for the Catholic Church in a country that is
80 per cent Catholic. We must do everything we can against this evil, which is
so destructive of
humanity and of our young people. The first thing is to announce God. God the
judge. God Who loves us, but Who asks us to abide in goodness and truth, and
to reject evil.
"Therefore, one great responsibility the Church has is to educate people to
moral responsibility and to unmask evil, to unmask the idolatry of money which
enslaves man. ... We must remember that men and women need the infinite. If
there is no God,
they replace Him by creating their own heavens, a seeming infinity which is
really only a lie. This is why it is so important for God to be present and
accessible. ... In this way the Church can unmask evil, making people aware of
God's goodness, His
truth, authentic infinity. This is the great duty facing the Church".
Another Mexican journalist pointed out that great social inequalities
persist in Latin America and that the at times the Catholic Church is not
sufficiently encouraged to intervene in this field.
"The Church must of course ask if she does enough for social justice on
that great continent", the Pope replied. "It is a question of conscience which
we must always pose ourselves. ... What must the Church do? What can she not
do? What must she not
do? The Church is not a political power, she is not a party but a moral
entity, a moral power. ... I reiterate what I have already said. The Church's
first concern is to educate minds in both individual and public ethics, thus
creating the necessary
sense of responsibility. Here perhaps there are some shortcomings. In Latin
America, as elsewhere, no small number of Catholics show a kind of
schizophrenia between individual and public morals. ... We must educate people
to overcome this schizophrenia,
educate them not only in ... individual morality, but also in public morality.
This we must seek to do with the social doctrine of the Church because, of
course, such public morality must be a reasonable morality,
shared and shareable by non believers. We, of course, in the light of faith
can better see many things that are also visible to reason, but it is faith
which serves to liberate reason from the false interests that cloud it. Thus
we must use social
doctrine to create fundamental policy models, and so ... overcome these
divisions".
Another journalist recalled the words used by John Paul II on his trip to
Cuba, "may Cuba open to the world and, and may the world open to Cuba", and
noted that many defenders of human rights had spoken out in anticipation of
Benedict XVI's visit to
the island.
The Pope reiterated the continuity of his ideas with the words of John Paul
II "which are still highly relevant". The visit marked, he said, "the
beginning of a journey of collaboration and constructive dialogue, a long
journey which requires
patience but which is moving forward. It is clear today that Marxist ideology
as it was conceived no longer responds to reality. ... In order to build a new
society new models must be discovered, patiently and constructively. In this
process, which
requires patience but also firmness, we wish to make our contribution in a
spirit of dialogue, in order to avoid traumas and facilitate the way to a
fraternal and just society for all people. Obviously, the Church is always on
the side of freedom,
freedom of conscience, freedom of religion. ... The faithful can also
contribute to the progress of this journey".
Finally the Holy Father responded to a question about new evangelisation in
Latin America, in the light of the Aparecida Conference.
"The path of new evangelisation began with Vatican Council II. This was the
fundamental intention of Blessed John XXIII, it was also emphasised by John
Paul II and its importance in a world undergoing such great changes has become
even more evident.
The Gospel must be expressed in new was. ... There is a condition which exists
throughout the world: secularisation, the absence of God, the difficulty of
seeing Him as a reality which concerns us. ... It is today, in the context of
modern day
rationality, that we can rediscover God as a fundamental guide for life, the
fundamental hope for life, the foundation of the values upon which our society
rests. ... I think it is very important to announce a God Who responds to our
reason. ...
--- NetMgr/2 1.0y+
* Origin: NetMgr+ @ Sursum Corda! BBS Meridian MS USA (1:396/45)
