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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - N° 69
DATE 02-04-2012
Summary:
- IN CHRIST THE WHOLE OF HUMANITY WILL BE BLESSED
- JOY IS A CENTRAL ELEMENT OF CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE
- YOUNG PEOPLE SHOULD SPEAK OF CHRIST WITHOUT FEAR
- THE UNDYING ALLURE OF ST. CLARE OF ASSISI
- POPE TO PRISONERS: WITH GOD'S HELP WE CAN RISE AGAIN WHEN WE HAVE FALLEN
- BENEDICT XVI SENDS AID TO THE PEOPLE OF SYRIA AND CUBA
- YOUNG PEOPLE MUST BE ROOTED IN THE FAITH TO MAKE A MORE EFFECTIVE
CONTRIBUTION TO THE LIFE OF SOCIETY
- CUBA: GOOD FRIDAY WILL BE A HOLIDAY
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
___________________________________________________________
IN CHRIST THE WHOLE OF HUMANITY WILL BE BLESSED
Vatican City, 1 April 2012 (VIS) - Benedict XVI today opened Holy Week
celebrations by celebrating Mass for Palm Sunday in St. Peter's Square, in the
presence of 60,000 faithful.
The Pope went by popemobile to the altar, situated under the obelisk of St.
Peter's Square which was decorated with branches, flowers and thirteen olive
trees from the Italian region of Puglia.
"Palm Sunday", said the Holy Father in his homily, "is the great doorway
leading into Holy Week, the week when the Lord Jesus makes His way towards the
culmination of His earthly existence. He goes up to Jerusalem in order to
fulfil the Scriptures and
to be nailed to the wood of the Cross, the throne from which He will reign
forever, drawing to Himself humanity of every age and offering to all the gift
of redemption".
The Pope dwelt on the episodes associated with Christ's entry into Jerusalem:
the healing of blind Bartimaeus and the enthusiasm of the crowds who cried:
“Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”. "This
festive acclamation,
reported by all four evangelists, is a cry of blessing, a hymn of exultation:
it expresses the unanimous conviction that, in Jesus, God has visited His
people and the longed-for Messiah has finally come. And everyone is there,
growing in expectation of
the work that Christ will accomplish once He has entered the city".
"But", the Holy Father added, "what is the content, the inner resonance of
this cry of jubilation? The answer is found throughout Scripture, which
reminds us that the Messiah fulfils the promise of God’s blessing,
God’s original promise to
Abraham, father of all believers: “I will make of you a great nation and
I will bless you ... and by you all the families of the earth shall bless
themselves”. ... Hence He Whom the crowd acclaims as the blessed one is
also He in Whom the
whole of humanity will be blessed. Thus, in the light of Christ, humanity sees
itself profoundly united and, as it were, enfolded within the cloak of divine
blessing, a blessing that permeates, sustains, redeems and sanctifies all
things".
Therefore the primary message of today’s feast is "the invitation to
adopt a proper outlook upon all humanity, on the peoples who make up the
world, on its different cultures and civilisations. The look that the believer
receives from Christ is a
look of blessing: a wise and loving look, capable of grasping the
world’s beauty and having compassion on its fragility. Shining through
this look is God’s own look upon those He loves and upon Creation, the
work of His hands".
"Who is Jesus of Nazareth for us? What idea do we have of the Messiah, what
idea do we have of God? It is a crucial question, one we cannot avoid, not
least because during this very week we are called to follow our King Who
chooses the Cross as His
throne. We are called to follow a Messiah Who promises us, not a facile
earthly happiness, but the happiness of heaven, divine beatitude.
We must ask ourselves what our true expectations are, the Pope said addressing
young people also for the occasion of today's World Youth Day. "May Palm
Sunday be a day of decision for you, the decision to say yes to the Lord and
to follow Him all the
way, the decision to make His Passover, His death and resurrection, the very
focus of your Christian lives. It is the decision that leads to true joy, as I
reminded you in this year’s World Youth Day Message –
“Rejoice in the Lord
always”".
Finally, the Holy Father expressed the hope that these days may "call forth
two sentiments in particular: praise, after the example of those who welcomed
Jesus into Jerusalem with their “Hosanna!”, and thanksgiving,
because in this Holy Week
the Lord Jesus will renew the greatest gift we could possibly imagine: He will
give us His life, His body and His blood, His love. But we must respond
worthily to so great a gift, that is to say, with the gift of ourselves, our
time, our prayer, our
entering into a profound communion of love with Christ Who suffered, died and
rose for us".
Benedict XVI concluded his homily with the words of St. Andrew, bishop of
Crete: "So it is ourselves that we must spread under Christ’s feet, not
coats or lifeless branches or shoots of trees, matter which wastes away and
delights the eye only for
a few brief hours. But we have clothed ourselves with Christ’s grace, or
with the whole Christ, ... so let us spread ourselves like coats under His
feet. ... Let us offer not palm branches but the prizes of victory to the
conqueror of death".
___________________________________________________________
JOY IS A CENTRAL ELEMENT OF CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE
Vatican City, 1 April 2012 (VIS) - At the end of this morning’s Mass for
Palm Sunday, and before praying the Angelus, the Pope reminded the faithful
gathered in St. Peter's Square that today also marks World Youth Day (WYD)
2012. In this context
he addressed a special greeting to the organisers of WYD Madrid 2011 and WYD
Rio de Janeiro 2013, who were present at the celebration and who have recently
participated in a congress in Rome.
"The theme of today's World Youth Day is St. Paul's appeal to 'rejoice in the
Lord always'", Benedict XVI said. "The joy arising from the knowledge that God
loves us is a central element of Christian experience. In a world often
characterised by sadness
and anguish, this is an important testimony of the beauty and reliability of
the faith. Be joyful witnesses of Christ!"
___________________________________________________________
YOUNG PEOPLE SHOULD SPEAK OF CHRIST WITHOUT FEAR
Vatican City, 2 April 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience
5,000 young people from the archdiocese of Madrid, Spain, accompanied by their
archbishop Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela. They are currently on a
pilgrimage to Rome to
thank the Pope for his trip to Spain during last August's World Youth Day.
Extracts from Benedict XVI's words to them are given below.
"Whenever I recall the twenty-sixth World Youth Day in Madrid, my heart is
filled with gratitude to God for those unforgettable days. ... That marvellous
encounter can only be understood in the light of the presence of the Holy
Spirit in the Church,
which never ceases to infuse hearts with encouragement, and continually leads
us out into the public square of history, as happened at Pentecost, to bear
witness to God's wonders. You are called to cooperate in this edifying task.
... Christ needs you
at His side to extend and build His Kingdom of charity".
"No one is superfluous to such an undertaking. Therefore, never cease to ask
yourselves what the Lord is calling you to do, and how you can help Him. Each
of you has a personal vocation which He has given you for your own joy and
sanctity. When a person
is conquered by the fire of His gaze, no sacrifice seems too great to follow
Him and give Him the best of ourselves. This is what the saints have always
done, spreading the light of the Lord ... and transforming the world into a
welcoming home for
everyone".
"Like the first Apostles, you too must be missionaries of Christ among your
relatives, friends and acquaintances, in the places where you study and work,
among the poor and the sick. Speak of His love and goodness with simplicity,
without fear. Christ
Himself will give you the strength to do so. For your part, listen to Him,
interact with Him often and sincerely. Trustingly tell Him of your desires and
aspirations, of your own sufferings and those of people you perceive without
consolation or hope".
"Yesterday we began Holy Week, in which we will follow the footsteps of
Christ. ... We will contemplate His passion and humiliation unto death. ... I
encourage you to take up your own cross, the cross of the pain and sin of the
world, so as to gain a
better understanding of Christ's love for humanity. Thus you will feel
impelled to proclaim the God Who loves men and women, and Who sent His Son,
not to condemn them, but for them to achieve a life of fullness and meaning".
___________________________________________________________
THE UNDYING ALLURE OF ST. CLARE OF ASSISI
Vatican City, 31 March 2012 (VIS) - Franciscans and Poor Clares throughout the
world are currently celebrating the "Clarian Year", the eighth centenary of
the "conversion" and consecration of St. Clare of Assisi (1193-1253) which
took place on Palm
Sunday 1211 or 1212. For the occasion, Benedict XVI has written a letter to
Bishop Domenico Sorrentino of Assisi - Nocera Umbra - Gualdo Tadino, Italy.
The Pope recalls the life story of the founder of the Poor Clares. Following
St. Francis' advice, she attended Palm Sunday Mass dressed in all her finery.
She received a palm from the hands of the bishop then, later that night, fled
the house of her
parents - who had been hoping to marry her to a wealthy man - and went to the
Porziuncola where St. Francis and his companions were waiting for her. There
Clare renounced the world, Francis cut her hair and she adopted the black veil
and rough sandals
which became the first habit of the Poor Clares.
Clare's history "also speaks to our generation, and has a particular
fascination for the young", the Holy Father says. Francis had a good reason
for advising Clare to flee her parents' house at the beginning of Holy Week.
"All Christian life, and thus
also consecrated life", he writes, "is the fruit of the Paschal Mystery and of
our participation in the death and resurrection of Christ. In the Palm Sunday
liturgy pain and glory come together, a theme which will be developed over the
following days
through the dark night of the Passion up to the ultimate light of Easter. With
her choice Clare relived this mystery".
"At its most profound level, Clare's 'conversion' is a conversion of love. No
longer would she have the refined dress of the Assisan aristocracy, but an
elegance of soul expressed in praise of God and giving of self. Day by day a
fraternity came into
being within the confines of the monastery of San Damiano, at the school of
the Eucharistic Christ, ... a fraternity regulated by love of God and prayer,
by concern for others and service. It was in this context of profound faith
and great humanity that
Clare came to interpret the Franciscan ideal, imploring the 'privilege' of
poverty and renouncing even the shared possession of material goods, something
which left even the Supreme Pontiff perplexed, until in the end he too
surrendered to the heroism
of her sanctity".
The Holy Father continues: "How can we not present St. Clare, and St. Francis,
to the young people of today? The time dividing us from these two saints has
not lessened their allure. Quite the contrary, their contemporary importance
is evident in the
face of the illusions and delusions which often mark the life of modern youth.
Never has a time caused the young to dream so much, with the multiple
attractions of a life in which everything seems possible and permissible. And
yet, how much
dissatisfaction exists, how many times the search for happiness and
self-realisation follows paths which lead to artificial paradises such as
those of drugs and unbridled sensuality. And the current situation, with the
difficulty of finding dignified
work and forming a united and happy family, adds further clouds to the horizon.
"Yet", the Pope adds in conclusion, "there is no lack of young people who,
even in our own times, accept the invitation to entrust themselves to Christ
and to face the journey of life courageously, responsibly and hopefully,
choosing even to leave
everything to follow Him and serve their brethren. The story of Clare, with
that of Francis, is an invitation to reflect upon the meaning of life and to
seek the secret of true joy in God. It is concrete proof that those who
accomplish the will of God
and trust in Him not only lose nothing, but discover the real treasure which
gives meaning to everything".
___________________________________________________________
POPE TO PRISONERS: WITH GOD'S HELP WE CAN RISE AGAIN WHEN WE HAVE FALLEN
Vatican City, 31 March 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father has sent a message to
prisoners detained in Rome's Rebibbia prison for the Way of the Cross they
celebrated there yesterday evening. The celebration, presided by Cardinal
Agostino Vallini, vicar
general for the diocese of Rome, was attended by 300 prisoners, the chaplain,
Caritas volunteers, seminarians who offer daily service inside the prison and
numerous faithful from various parishes. The Pope made a pastoral visit to the
jail on 18
December last year.
"I feel a particularly close bond to this initiative", the Pope writes,
"because I conserve in my heart the memory of the visit I made to Rebibbia
prison shortly before last Christmas. I remember the faces I saw and the words
I heard, all of which left
a profound mark on me".
"I know that this Way of the Cross also seeks to be a sign of reconciliation.
In fact, as one of the prisoners said during our meeting, the purpose of
prison is to help us rise again after having fallen, it serves to achieve
reconciliation with
ourselves, with others and with God, and so re-enter society. When in the Way
of the Cross we see Jesus fall to the ground - once, twice, three times - we
understand that He shared our human condition. The weight of our sins caused
Him to fall; but
three times Jesus got up again and continued the journey to Calvary. Thus,
with His help, we too can rise from our falls, and perhaps also help a brother
to rise as well.
"But what gave Jesus the strength to carry on?", the Pope asked. "He knew that
the Father loved Him, and this immense love, this infinite mercy of the
heavenly Father, consoled Him and was greater than the violence and abuse
surrounding Him".
"The great gift that Jesus gave us with His Way of the Cross was this: He
showed us that God is infinite love, He is mercy and He carries the burden of
our sins unto the end, enabling us to rise again, to find reconciliation and
rediscover peace. We
too, then, should not be afraid to follow our own 'way of the cross' to carry
our cross together with Jesus. He is with us".
"With this hope, grounded in faith, I trust that you will all live this coming
Easter in the peace and joy which Christ bought for us with His blood, and
with great affection I impart upon you my apostolic blessing".
___________________________________________________________
BENEDICT XVI SENDS AID TO THE PEOPLE OF SYRIA AND CUBA
Vatican City, 31 March 2012 (VIS) - The Pontifical Council "Cor Unum" today
published a communique announcing that the Pope has made a donation of 100,000
US dollars in support of the people of Syria.
The communique mentions the numerous appeals Benedict XVI has made for an end
to violence in Syria and for the opening of dialogue and reconciliation
between the conflicting parties, with a view to peace and the common good. The
Holy Father has also
frequently exhorted the faithful to pray for those who suffer. "Now", the
communique says, "the Pope has chosen to donate the sum of 100,000 US dollars,
through the Pontifical Council 'Cor Unum', for the charitable activities of
the local Church in
Syria in support of the suffering population". In order to ensure the delivery
of the aid, meetings have been planned with His Beatitude Gregorios III Laham,
president of the Assembly of the Catholic Hierarchy in Syria, and with other
representatives of
the local Church.
Finally, the communique notes that, through her charity organisations, the
Catholic Church in Syria is currently involved in assistance projects,
particularly in the areas of Homs and Aleppo.
On another front, "Cor Unum" is to finance agricultural development projects
in two Cuban dioceses, according to today's "Osservatore Romano". This is the
first concrete result of Benedict XVI's recent apostolic visit to the island,
on which he was
accompanied by Cardinal Robert Sarah, president of the Pontifical Council "Cor
Unum", who met with Cuban bishops to discuss possible initiatives in support
of the population. Two of the bishops, having informed the cardinal that they
had received State
permission to work for and with farmers in their dioceses, presented two
projects which will be realised with the help of "Cor Unum".
___________________________________________________________
YOUNG PEOPLE MUST BE ROOTED IN THE FAITH TO MAKE A MORE EFFECTIVE CONTRIBUTION
TO THE LIFE OF SOCIETY
Vatican City, 2 April 2012 (VIS) - This morning in the Holy See Press Office,
a press conference was held to provide information on preparations for World
Youth Day (WYD) 2013, due to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 23 to 28
July 2013. The
conference was presented by Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, president of the
Pontifical Council for the Laity; Archbishop Orani Joao Tempesta O. Cist. of
Sao Sebastiao do Rio de Janeiro, and Msgr. Eduardo Pinheiro da Silva,
president of the Brazilian
Episcopal Commission for Youth.
In his remarks Cardinal Rylko expressed the view that "WYD truly was a
prophetic intuition on the part of Blessed John Paul II, and marked a
revolution in the field of youth pastoral care. ... And Benedict XVI has
explained how WYD opens up a new way of
being Christian". Hence the great efforts the Church makes in preparing these
events, he explained.
With the Rio celebration, WYD is returning to Latin America, twenty-six years
after the first international WYD, held in Buenos Aires. Rio 2013 "will be
part of the continental mission, which emerged from the meeting of bishops of
the Latin American
Episcopal Council (CELAM) at Aparecida in 2007. At the level of the universal
Church, the Rio WYD will also be linked to this year's Synod of Bishops on the
theme of the new evangelisation". The cardinal also noted that the WYD will be
taking place
during the Year of Faith. "The aim of WYD", the cardinal explained, "is to
increase faith among young people and foment the mission. ... The main need of
young people today is to be rooted in the faith and in the great family of the
Church, in order to
be able to make a greater and more effective contribution to the life of
society".
In conclusion, the cardinal also mentioned this year's World Youth Day, which
was celebrated throughout the world at a diocesan level yesterday under the
theme "Rejoice in the Lord always". "Joy is a characteristic of WYDs", he
said. "and that is no
coincidence because, if on the one hand young people seek happiness, on the
other the Church possesses in herself the treasure of true joy, which arises
from encountering Christ the Saviour".
For his part Archbishop Tempesta recalled that information on next year's WYD
is available in five languages on the website: www.rio2013.com. The WYD page
on Facebook and Twitter already has 600,000 followers, and bookings for
pilgrim groups will be
open as of July this year.
In conclusion the archbishop of Rio noted that the Brazilian economy had
improved in recent years, and social differences had diminished. "WYD will",
he said, "be an opportunity to improve the Christian values of solidarity,
justice, hope and courage
among the new generations".
___________________________________________________________
CUBA: GOOD FRIDAY WILL BE A HOLIDAY
Vatican City, 2 April 2012 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Federico
Lombardi S.J. has released the following declaration concerning the decision
by the authorities in Cuba to make next Good Friday a holiday.
"The fact that the Cuban authorities have immediately accepted the request
made by the Holy Father to President Raul Castro, declaring next Good Friday a
holiday, is certainly a very positive sign".
"The Holy See hopes that this will facilitate participation in religious
celebrations and favour a happy Easter holiday. It also hopes that the Holy
Father's visit may continue to produce fruits for the good of the Church and
of all Cubans".
___________________________________________________________
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 2 April 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:
- Archbishop Mark Benedict Coleridge of Canberra and Goulburn, Australia, as
archbishop of Brisbane (area 65,000, population 2,760,007, Catholics 643,371,
priests 239, permanent deacons 13, religious 890), Australia.
- Cardinal Angelo Comastri, vicar general of His Holiness for Vatican City, as
his special envoy to the closing celebrations of the National Eucharistic
Congress of Ukraine, due to be held in Lviv on 3 May, sixth centenary of the
establishment of the
archiepiscopal and metropolitan see of Lviv of the Latins.
___________________________________________________________
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VISnews120402
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE YEAR XXII - N° 69DATE 02-04-2012
Summary: - IN CHRIST THE WHOLE OF HUMANITY
WILL BE BLESSED - JOY IS
A CENTRAL ELEMENT OF CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE - YOUNG PEOPLE SHOULD SPEAK OF
CHRIST WITHOUT FEAR - THE UNDYING ALLURE OF ST. CLARE OF ASSISI -
POPE TO PRISONERS: WITH GOD'S HELP WE CAN RISE AGAIN WHEN WE HAVE FALLEN
- BENEDICT XVI
SENDS AID TO THE PEOPLE OF SYRIA AND CUBA - YOUNG PEOPLE MUST BE ROOTED
IN THE FAITH TO MAKE A MORE EFFECTIVE CONTRIBUTION TO THE LIFE OF SOCIETY - CUBA: GOOD FRIDAY WILL BE A HOLIDAY - OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS ___________________________________________________________
IN CHRIST THE WHOLE OF HUMANITY WILL BE BLESSED
Vatican City, 1 April 2012 (VIS) - Benedict XVI today opened Holy Week
celebrations by celebrating Mass for Palm Sunday in St. Peter's Square, in the
presence of 60,000 faithful.
The Pope went by popemobile to the altar, situated under the obelisk of St.
Peter's Square which was decorated with branches, flowers and thirteen olive
trees from the Italian region of Puglia.
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* Origin: NetMgr+ @ Sursum Corda! BBS Meridian MS USA (1:396/45)
