Subject: VISnews120502
From: Vatican Information Service - Eng - txt
--Boundary_(ID_46zpc9y23Gf8IVHAboMGuA)
Content-type: text/plain; CHARSET=US-ASCII
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
body, html { font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;
color: #000000; }
.txt { font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; color:
#000000; }
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - N° 85
DATE 02-05-2012
Summary:
- ST. STEPHEN: MEDITATION UPON SACRED SCRIPTURE IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THE
PRESENT
- RENEWED JURIDICAL FRAMEWORK FOR CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS
- EIGHTEENTH PLENARY SESSION OF THE PONTIFICAL ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
___________________________________________________________
ST. STEPHEN: MEDITATION UPON SACRED SCRIPTURE IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THE
PRESENT
Vatican City, 2 May 2012 (VIS) - The prayer of St. Stephen, the first
Christian martyr, was the theme of the Holy Father's catechesis during his
general audience this morning.
Addressing more than 20,000 faithful filling St. Peter's Square, the Pope
explained how, according to the narrative of the Acts of the Apostles, Stephen
was taken before the Sanhedrin accused of having declared that Jesus would
destroy the Temple and
change the customs handed down by Moses. In his address before the council
Stephen explained that, in saying these things, Jesus had been referring to
His body, which was the new temple. In this way, Christ "inaugurated the new
worship and, with the
offer of Himself on the cross, replaced the ancient sacrifices", Benedict XVI
said.
Stephen wished to show that the accusation of subverting the Law of Moses was
unfounded, to which end he outlined his view of the history of salvation, of
the covenant between God and man. "Thus", the Holy Father explained, "he
reread the entire
biblical narrative to show that it led to the 'place' of God's definitive
presence, which is Jesus Christ and in particular His passion, death and
resurrection. Stephen interpreted his status as a disciple of Jesus in the
same light, ... following Him
to martyrdom. Thus, meditation upon Sacred Scripture helped him to understand
... the present".
"In his meditation upon God's action in the history of salvation" the
proto-martyr "highlighted the perennial temptation to reject God and His acts,
and affirmed that Jesus is the Just One announced by the prophets. In Him, God
made Himself definitively
and uniquely present: Jesus is the 'place' of true worship".
Stephen's explanations and his life were interrupted by his stoning, yet
"martyrdom was the culmination of his life and message, because he became one
with Christ. Thus his meditation upon the action of God in history, on the
divine Word which was
entirely fulfilled in Jesus, became a form of participation in Christ's prayer
on the cross".
The moment of Stephen's martyrdom "again revealed the fruitful relationship
between the Word of God and prayer", the Pope said. Yet "where did this first
Christian martyr find the strength to face his persecutors and to make the
ultimate gift of self?
The answer is simple: in his relationship with God, in his communion with
Christ, in meditating upon the history of salvation, in witnessing the action
of God which reached its apex in Jesus Christ".
St. Stephen believed that Jesus was "the Temple, 'not made by human hands', in
which the presence of God the Father came so close as to enter our human
flesh, bringing us to God and opening the doors of heaven for us. Our prayer
must, then, be
contemplation of Jesus sitting at the right hand of God, of Jesus as Lord of
our daily life. In Him, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we too can
address God ... with the trust and abandonment of children who turn to a
Father Who loves them with an
infinite love".
___________________________________________________________
RENEWED JURIDICAL FRAMEWORK FOR CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS
Vatican City, 2 May 2012 (VIS) - Made public today was a General Decree
concerning the renewed juridical framework of Caritas Internationalis. The
document, which bears the signature of Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio
Bertone S.D.B., was approved
by the Holy Father on 27 April, and comes into force from the moment of its
publication.
The publication of the decree is being accompanied by an explanatory text in
English, written by Msgr. Osvaldo Neves de Almeida, excerpts from which are
given below.
"In its sixty-one years of existence, Caritas Internationalis has always been
a privileged instrument of the Church’s charitable activity. Drawing
upon its long experience of this worthy institution, and in particular the
developments of recent
years, the Holy See has sought to update the juridical status of Caritas
Internationalis, in order the better to support its activity in the context of
the modern world".
"Blessed John Paul II gave it public canonical juridical personality by means
of the Chirograph 'Durante l'ultima Cena'. ... This public juridical person is
governed principally, though not exclusively, by its proper legislation and by
the relevant
provisions of the Code of Canon Law. The Chirograph 'Durante l’Ultima
Cena', in recognising the special bond linking Caritas Internationalis with
the Apostolic See, implicitly established that its governance and operation
should make reference to
the First Section of the Secretariat of State. At the same time, the
Chirograph gave the Pontifical Council 'Cor Unum' the task of following and
accompanying the activity of Caritas Internationalis".
The process of updating the juridical framework of Caritas Internationalis
"The experience garnered in almost eight years of applying the Chirograph
'Durante l’Ultima Cena' has made it possible to understand in greater
detail how to carry forward a process of juridical updating that not only
respects but expresses even
better the nature of the organisation and clarifies the distribution of
competences among dicasteries and offices with an interest in it".
"Between January and May of last year, a working group of representatives from
Caritas Internationalis and the Holy See studied a new version of the Statutes
of Caritas Internationalis, with the intention of resolving the interlinked
doctrinal,
juridical and economic issues. ... During the said meetings of the working
group, one of the points to emerge was the need for legislation to complement
the Chirograph 'Durante l’Ultima Cena', as a normative reference-point
for the application of
the new Statutes. Having received the draft Statutes, the Holy Father gave
precise instructions to the Cardinal Secretary of State on the contents of the
said text due to complement the Chirograph. Accordingly, in deference to these
indications, the
General Decree was drawn up and the new Statutes and Internal Rules were
revised in accordance with it".
Some characteristic features of the new General Decree
"Articles 1, 2 and 3 of the General Decree clarify the competences of the
principal dicasteries involved. In this regard, first and foremost, the role
of the Pontifical Council 'Cor Unum' has been strengthened (art. 1), the
dicastery, that is, that
follows the institutional activity of Caritas Internationalis and is
responsible for approving its texts with doctrinal or moral content".
"Articles 4 and 5 establish guidelines for the future redaction of specific
norms governing employment of personnel and the preparation of a suitable
welfare regime. The employees of Caritas Internationalis, in fact, while they
are not Vatican
employees, are part of the working community of the Apostolic See".
"Article 6 ... establishes that at least three members of the Executive Board
be papal appointments. This allows the Holy Father to designate individuals of
specific proven competence, particular those coming from poor regions or
regions deserving of
privileged attention. ... It remains the case, however, that the majority of
members are chosen by national Caritas agencies, which therefore continue to
be responsible for the governance of this important structure of the
Confederation.
"Moreover, provision is made for an Ecclesiastical Assistant and a Support
Commission. ... In addition to the 'nihil obstat' of the Holy See for
candidates for the offices of President and Secretary-General, ... the General
Decree and the new Statutes
require a 'nihil obstat' for the candidates for Treasurer".
"Article 7 re-affirms the general principle that significant canonical and
Vatican legislation is binding upon those who are employed in entities
situated within Vatican City and institutionally linked to the Holy See".
___________________________________________________________
EIGHTEENTH PLENARY SESSION OF THE PONTIFICAL ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
Vatican City, 2 May 2012 (VIS) - A press conference was held this morning in
the Holy See Press Office to present the conclusions of the eighteenth plenary
session of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. The meeting was held in
Rome from 27 April
to 1 May and examined the theme: "The Global Search for 'Tranquillitas
Ordinis'. 'Pacem in Terris', fifty years on". The conference was presented by
Bishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo, chancellor of the "Pontifical Academy of
Social Sciences; Archbishop
Roland Minnerath of Dijon, France, and Margaret S. Archer, professor at the
Ecole Polytechnique Federale of Lausanne, Switzerland.
During the meeting participants focused their attention on the contribution
Blessed John XXIII’s Encyclical "Pacem in Terris" has made to the social
doctrine of the Church. That document reaffirms the central thesis of all
Church social doctrine,
which is that "each individual man is truly a person. His is a nature that is
endowed with intelligence and free will". On this basis the Encyclical
underlines the notion of the common good, that is to say "all those social
conditions which favour the
full development of human personality". Participants in the plenary concluded
that, in the modern world characterised by globalisation, the economic crisis
and nationalist and religious conflicts, it is vital to rediscover the truth
about human beings
and the common good, because they are the cornerstones of social life.
___________________________________________________________
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 2 May 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Papantla,
Mexico, presented by Bishop Lorenzo Cardenas Aregullin, upon having reached
the age limit. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Bishop Jorge Carlos Patron Wong.
- Appointed Msgr. Paul R. Sanchez of the clergy of Brooklyn, U.S.A., episcopal
vicar for Queens, and Msgr. Raymond F. Chappetto, also of the clergy of
Brooklyn, vicar for clergy and consecrated life and pastor of Our Lady of the
Snows at Floral Park, as
auxiliaries of Brooklyn (area 466, population 4,849,605, Catholics 1,556,575,
priests 619, permanent deacons 179, religious 177). Bishop-elect Sanchez was
born in Brooklyn in 1946 and ordained a priest in 1971. He has worked as
pastor in a number of
parishes and is a member of the diocesan liturgical commission. Bishop-elect
Chappetto was born in Astoria in 1945 and ordained a priest in 1971. He has
worked as pastor in various parishes in Brooklyn.
On Tuesday 1 May it was made public that the Holy Father appointed Fr. Raymond
Poisson, pastor of the Sainte-Marguerite-d'Younville pastoral unit in the
diocese of Saint-Jean-Longueuil, Canada, as auxiliary of Saint-Jerome (area
2,156, population
444,000, Catholics 431,000, priests 91, permanent deacons 19, religious 137),
Canada. The bishop-elect was born in Saint-Hyacinthe, Canada in 1958 and
ordained a priest in 1983. He studied in Canada and in Rome, and has served in
pastoral duties and as
private secretary to the bishop of Saint-Jean-Longueuil.
___________________________________________________________
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.
--Boundary_(ID_46zpc9y23Gf8IVHAboMGuA)
Content-type: text/html; CHARSET=US-ASCII
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
VISnews120502
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE YEAR XXII - N° 85DATE 02-05-2012
Summary: - ST. STEPHEN: MEDITATION UPON
SACRED SCRIPTURE IN ORDER TO
UNDERSTAND THE PRESENT - RENEWED JURIDICAL FRAMEWORK FOR CARITAS
INTERNATIONALIS - EIGHTEENTH PLENARY SESSION OF THE PONTIFICAL ACADEMY
OF SOCIAL SCIENCES - OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS ___________________________________________________________
ST. STEPHEN: MEDITATION UPON SACRED SCRIPTURE IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THE
PRESENT
Vatican City, 2 May 2012 (VIS) - The prayer of St. Stephen, the first
Christian martyr, was the theme of the Holy Father's catechesis during his
general audience this morning.
Addressing more than 20,000 faithful filling St. Peter's Square, the Pope
explained how, according to the narrative of the Acts of the Apostles, Stephen
was taken before the Sanhedrin accused of having declared that Jesus would
destroy the Temple and
change the customs handed down by Moses. In his address before the council
Stephen explained that, in saying these things, Jesus had been referring to
His body, which was the new temple. In this way, Christ "inaugurated the new
worship and, with the
offer of Himself on the cross, replaced the ancient sacrifices", Benedict XVI
said.
Stephen wished to show that the accusation of subverting the Law of Moses
was unfounded, to which end he outlined his view of the history of salvation,
of the covenant between God and man. "Thus", the Holy Father explained, "he
reread the entire
biblical narrative to show that it led to the 'place' of God's definitive
presence, which is Jesus Christ and in particular His passion, death and
resurrection. Stephen interpreted his status as a disciple of Jesus in the
same light, ... following Him
to martyrdom. Thus, meditation upon Sacred Scripture helped him to understand
... the present".
"In his meditation upon God's action in the history of salvation" the
proto-martyr "highlighted the perennial temptation to reject God and His acts,
and affirmed that Jesus is the Just One announced by the prophets. In Him, God
made Himself
definitively and uniquely present: Jesus is the 'place' of true worship".
Stephen's explanations and his life were interrupted by his stoning, yet
"martyrdom was the culmination of his life and message, because he became one
with Christ. Thus his meditation upon the action of God in history, on the
divine Word which was
entirely fulfilled in Jesus, became a form of participation in Christ's prayer
on the cross".
The moment of Stephen's martyrdom "again revealed the fruitful relationship
between the Word of God and prayer", the Pope said. Yet "where did this first
Christian martyr find the strength to face his persecutors and to make the
ultimate gift of
self? The answer is simple: in his relationship with God, in his communion
with Christ, in meditating upon the history of salvation, in witnessing the
action of God which reached its apex in Jesus Christ".
St. Stephen believed that Jesus was "the Temple, 'not made by human hands',
in which the presence of God the Father came so close as to enter our human
flesh, bringing us to God and opening the doors of heaven for us. Our prayer
must, then, be
contemplation of Jesus sitting at the right hand of God, of Jesus as Lord of
our daily life. In Him, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we too can
address God ... with the trust and abandonment of children who turn to a
Father Who loves them with an
infinite love".
RENEWED JURIDICAL FRAMEWORK FOR CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS
Vatican City, 2 May 2012 (VIS) - Made public today was a General Decree
concerning the renewed juridical framework of Caritas Internationalis. The
document, which bears the signature of Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio
Bertone S.D.B., was
approved by the Holy Father on 27 April, and comes into force from the moment
of its publication.
The publication of the decree is being accompanied by an explanatory text
in English, written by Msgr. Osvaldo Neves de Almeida, excerpts from which are
given below.
"In its sixty-one years of existence, Caritas Internationalis has always
been a privileged instrument of the Church’s charitable activity.
Drawing upon its long experience of this worthy institution, and in particular
the developments of recent
years, the Holy See has sought to update the juridical status of Caritas
Internationalis, in order the better to support its activity in the context of
the modern world".
"Blessed John Paul II gave it public canonical juridical personality by
means of the Chirograph 'Durante l'ultima Cena'. ... This public juridical
person is governed principally, though not exclusively, by its proper
legislation and by the relevant
provisions of the Code of Canon Law. The Chirograph 'Durante l’Ultima
Cena', in recognising the special bond linking Caritas Internationalis with
the Apostolic See, implicitly established that its governance and operation
should make reference to
the First Section of the Secretariat of State. At the same time, the
Chirograph gave the Pontifical Council 'Cor Unum' the task of following and
accompanying the activity of Caritas Internationalis".
The process of updating the juridical framework of Caritas In
ernationalis
"The experience garnered in almost eight years of applying the Chirograph
'Durante l’Ultima Cena' has made it possible to understand in greater
detail how to carry forward a process of juridical updating that not only
respects but expresses
even better the nature of the organisation and clarifies the distribution of
competences among dicasteries and offices with an interest in it".
"Between January and May of last year, a working group of representatives
from Caritas Internationalis and the Holy See studied a new version of the
Statutes of Caritas Internationalis, with the intention of resolving the
interlinked doctrinal,
juridical and economic issues. ... During the said meetings of the working
group, one of the points to emerge was the need for legislation to complement
the Chirograph 'Durante l’Ultima Cena', as a normative reference-point
for the application of
the new Statutes. Having received the draft Statutes, the Holy Father gave
precise instructions to the Cardinal Secretary of State on the contents of the
said text due to complement the Chirograph. Accordingly, in deference to these
indications, the
General Decree was drawn up and the new Statutes and Internal Rules were
revised in accordance with it".
Some characteristic features of the new General Decree
"Articles 1, 2 and 3 of the General Decree clarify the competences of the
principal dicasteries involved. In this regard, first and foremost, the role
of the Pontifical Council 'Cor Unum' has been strengthened (art. 1), the
dicastery, that is, that
follows the institutional activity of Caritas Internationalis and is
responsible for approving its texts with doctrinal or moral content".
"Articles 4 and 5 establish guidelines for the future redaction of specific
norms governing employment of personnel and the preparation of a suitable
welfare regime. The employees of Caritas Internationalis, in fact, while they
are not Vatican
employees, are part of the working community of the Apostolic See".
"Article 6 ... establishes that at least three members of the Executive
Board be papal appointments. This allows the Holy Father to designate
individuals of specific proven competence, particular those coming from poor
regions or regions deserving of
privileged attention. ... It remains the case, however, that the majority of
members are chosen by national Caritas agencies, which therefore continue to
be responsible for the governance of this important structure of the
Confederation.
"Moreover, provision is made for an Ecclesiastical Assistant and a Support
Commission. ... In addition to the 'nihil obstat' of the Holy See for
candidates for the offices of President and Secretary-General, ... the General
Decree and the new
Statutes require a 'nihil obstat' for the candidates for Treasurer".
"Article 7 re-affirms the general principle that significant canonical and
Vatican legislation is binding upon those who are employed in entities
situated within Vatican City and institutionally linked to the Holy See".
EIGHTEENTH PLENARY SESSION OF THE PONTIFICAL ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
Vatican City, 2 May 2012 (VIS) - A press conference was held this morning
in the Holy See Press Office to present the conclusions of the eighteenth
plenary session of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. The meeting was
held in Rome from 27
April to 1 May and examined the theme: "The Global Search for 'Tranquillitas
Ordinis'. 'Pacem in Terris', fifty years on". The conference was presented by
Bishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo, chancellor of the "Pontifical Academy of
Social Sciences;
Archbishop Roland Minnerath of Dijon, France, and Margaret S. Archer,
professor at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale of Lausanne, Switzerland.
During the meeting participants focused their attention on the contribution
Blessed John XXIII’s Encyclical "Pacem in Terris" has made to the social
doctrine of the Church. That document reaffirms the central thesis of all
Church social
doctrine, which is that "each individual man is truly a person. His is a
nature that is endowed with intelligence and free will". On this basis the
Encyclical underlines the notion of the common good, that is to say "all those
social conditions which
favour the full development of human personality". Participants in the plenary
concluded that, in the modern world characterised by globalisation, the
economic crisis and nationalist and religious conflicts, it is vital to
rediscover the truth about
human beings and the common good, because they are the cornerstones of social
life.
- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of
Papantla, Mexico, presented by Bishop Lorenzo Cardenas Aregullin, upon having
reached the age limit. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Bishop Jorge Carlos Patron
Wong.
- Appointed Msgr. Paul R. Sanchez of the clergy of Brooklyn, U.S.A.,
episcopal vicar for Queens, and Msgr. Raymond F. Chappetto, also of the clergy
of Brooklyn, vicar for clergy and consecrated life and pastor of Our Lady of
the Snows at Floral Park,
--- NetMgr/2 1.0y+
* Origin: NetMgr+ @ Sursum Corda! BBS Meridian MS USA (1:396/45)
