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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - N° 109
DATE 03-06-2012
Summary:
- THE STATE MUST RECOGNISE THE SPECIFIC IDENTITY OF THE FAMILY FOUNDED UPON
MARRIAGE
- DIVORCED PEOPLE ARE NOT "OUTSIDE" THE CHURCH
- LOVE IS THE ONLY FORCE THAT CAN TRULY TRANSFORM THE WORLD
- PHILADELPHIA 2015, THE NEXT WORLD MEETING OF FAMILIES
___________________________________________________________
THE STATE MUST RECOGNISE THE SPECIFIC IDENTITY OF THE FAMILY FOUNDED UPON
MARRIAGE
Vatican City, 3 June 2012 (VIS) - In the archbishopric of Milan yesterday
afternoon, the Holy Father met with representatives from the civil and
military authorities, industrialists and workers, and exponents of the world
of culture in the Italian
region of Lombardy.
Benedict XVI focused his remarks on the principles of good government as laid
down by St. Ambrose who, based in Milan, governed the Roman provinces of
Liguria and Aemilia in the fourth century. These principles "are still
important" for leaders today,
the Pope said. The first quality of people in power must be justice, "the
public virtue par excellence because it concerns the good of the entire
community". Justice has to be accompanied by love of freedom, something which
distinguishes good governors
from bad ones. "Freedom is ... a precious right which must be guaranteed by
the civil authorities. However, freedom does not mean the will of the
individual but the responsibility of everyone. One of the principle elements
of the secular State is to
ensure freedom so that everyone can present their own vision of social life,
but always while respecting others and in the context of laws which seek the
good of all".
In order to guarantee the common good the laws of State "must draw
justification and strength from natural law, which is the foundation for a
social order adapted to the dignity of the human person". An exclusively
positivist view of law cannot provide
ethical guidance. The State must serve and protect the individual in all
aspects, "beginning with the right to life, which must never be deliberately
suppressed". It is also called "to recognise the specific identity of the
family, founded on marriage
and open to life, and the right of parents freely to choose the education and
formation of their children. ... The State fails to do justice to families if
it does not support freedom of education for the good of all society", the
Pope said.
The Church offers her collaboration to the State, each with their own role and
their own goals, through her doctrine, traditions, institutions and
activities, by virtue of which she places herself at the service of people.
"Suffice it to think of the
many shining figures of saints of charity, of schools and of culture, saints
who cared for the sick and the marginalised with the same service and love
with which we would serve and love the Lord. ... Christian communities promote
these actions ... as a
gratuitous superabundance of Christ's charity and of the all-embracing
experience of their faith. Apart from courageous technical and political
decisions, the crisis we are going through also has need of gratuitousness".
Finally Benedict XVI recalled the fact that St. Ambrose advised people in
positions of power to ensure they were loved. "That which love does can never
be done by fear", he said, quoting the saint. The reasons that move people to
enter into public life
"cannot but be", he told his audience, "the desire to dedicate yourselves to
the good of citizens, and therefore a clear expression and evident sign of
love. In this way politics is ennobled and becomes an exalted form of charity".
___________________________________________________________
DIVORCED PEOPLE ARE NOT "OUTSIDE" THE CHURCH
Vatican City, 3 June 2012 (VIS) - Yesterday evening, almost half a million
people attended the "Celebration of Witnesses" at Bresso Park in Milan, Italy,
one of events of the seventh World Meeting of Families. The Holy Father
arrived at 8.30 p.m. to
participate in the celebration during which he answered questions put to him
by various families on subjects which included the economic crisis, the
position of divorced people in the Church and the indissolubility of Marriage.
Benedict XVI also
recalled his own infancy and family life.
An engaged couple from Madagascar who are studying at university in Italy
spoke of the anxiety they felt when faced with the "forever" of Marriage. The
Pope explained that falling in love, being an emotion, is not eternal. "The
emotion of love must be
purified", he said, "it must undertake a journey of discernment in which the
mind and the will also come into play. ... In the rite of Marriage the Church
does not ask whether you are in love but whether you want, whether you are
resolved. In other
words, falling in love must become true love; it must involve the will and the
mind in a journey (which is the period of engagement) of purification, of
greater profundity so that it is truly all of man, with all his capacities,
with the discernment of
reason and the force of will, who says: 'Yes, this is my life'". The Holy
Father also mentioned other important factors such as communion of life with
others, with friends, the Church, the faith and God Himself.
A Brazilian family raised the issue of divorced couples who have remarried and
cannot avail themselves of the Sacraments. Benedict XVI affirmed that "this is
one of the the great causes of suffering for the Church today, and we do not
have simple
solutions. ... Naturally, one very important factor is prevention. This means
ensuring that, from the beginning, the act of falling love is transformed in a
more profound and mature decision. Another factor is that of accompanying
people during
marriage, to ensure that families are never alone but find authentic company
on their journey. We must tell people in this situation that the Church loves
them, but they must see and feel this love". Parishes and other Catholic
communities "must do
everything possible so that such people feel loved and accepted, that they are
not 'outsiders' even if they cannot receive absolution and the Eucharist. They
must see that they too live fully within the Church. ... The Eucharist is real
and shared i
f
people truly enter into communion with the Body of Christ. Even without the
'corporeal' assumption of the Sacrament, we can be spiritually united to
Christ". It is important for divorced couples "to have the chance to live a
life of faith, ... to see
that their suffering is a gift for the Church, because they also help others
to defend the stability of love, of Marriage; ... theirs is a suffering in the
community of the Church for the great values of our faith".
A Greek family asked the Pope what families affected by the economic crisis
can do not to lose hope. "Words are insufficient", the Holy Father replied.
"We should do something tangible and we all suffer because we are unable to do
so. First let us speak
of politics. I believe that all parties should show an increased sense of
responsibility, that they should not make promises they cannot keep, that they
should not seek votes only for themselves but show responsibility for the
common good of everyone,
in the awareness that politics is also a human and moral responsibility before
God and man". Moreover, each of must do everything we can "with a great sense
of responsibility and in the knowledge that sacrifices are necessary if we are
to prevail". The
Holy Father also suggested that families help one another, and that parishes
and cities do likewise, supporting one another with material assistance and
never forgetting to pray.
A seven year old girl from Vietnam asked the Pope to say something about his
own family and infancy. Benedict XVI recalled the essential importance Sunday
had had for his family. "Sunday began on Saturday afternoon when my father
would tell us the
Sunday readings. ... Thus we entered into the liturgy in an atmosphere of joy.
The next day we would go to Mass. I lived near Salzburg so there was always
music - Mozart, Schubert, Haydn - and when the 'Kyrie' began it was as if the
sky itself had
opened. ... We were of one heart and soul, with many shared experiences even
through difficult times because there was the war and before that the
dictatorship, then poverty. But the reciprocal love that existed between us,
the joy in simple things was
so strong that we could bear and overcome these things. ...Thus we grew up in
the certainty that it is good to be human, because we could see the goodness
of God reflected in parents and siblings. ... In this context of trust, joy
and love w
e were
happy and I think that heaven must be similar to my youth. In this sense I
hope 'to go home' when I go 'to the other part of the world'".
___________________________________________________________
LOVE IS THE ONLY FORCE THAT CAN TRULY TRANSFORM THE WORLD
Vatican City, 3 June 2012 (VIS) - At 10 a.m. today, Benedict XVI presided at
an open-air Mass at Bresso Park in Milan, Italy, for the closure of the
seventh World Meeting of Families. The meeting began on 30 May and has had as
its theme: "The Family:
Work and Celebration". Extracts of the homily delivered by the Pope to the one
million faithful present are given below.
"The liturgical Solemnity of the Holy Trinity that we are celebrating today
... urges us to commit ourselves to live our communion with God and with one
another according to the model of Trinitarian communion. ... It is not only
the Church that is
called to be the image of One God in Three Persons, but also the family, based
on marriage between man and woman. ... God created us male and female, equal
in dignity, but also with respective and complementary characteristics, so
that the two might be
a gift for each other, might value each other and might bring into being a
community of love and life. It is love that makes the human person the
authentic image of God. Dear married couples, in living out your marriage you
are not giving each other any
particular thing or activity, but your whole lives. And your love is fruitful
first and foremost for yourselves, because you desire and accomplish one
another’s good, you experience the joy of receiving and giving. It is
also fru
itful
in your generous and responsible procreation of children, in your attentive
care for them, and in their vigilant and wise education. And lastly, it is
fruitful for society, because family life is the first and irreplaceable
school of social virtues,
such as respect for persons, gratuitousness, trust, responsibility,
solidarity, cooperation. Dear married couples, watch over your children and,
in a world dominated by technology, transmit to them, with serenity and trust,
reasons for living, the
strength of faith, pointing them towards high goals and supporting them in
their fragility".
"Your vocation is not easy to live, especially today, but the vocation to love
is a wonderful thing, it is the only force that can truly transform the world.
You have before you the witness of so many families who point out the paths
for growing in
love: by maintaining a constant relationship with God and participating in the
life of the Church, by cultivating dialogue, respecting the other’s
point of view, by being ready for service and patient with the failings of
others, by being able to
forgive and to seek forgiveness, by overcoming with intelligence and humility
any conflicts that may arise, by agreeing on principles of upbringing, and by
being open to other families, attentive towards the poor, and responsible
within civil society.
These are all elements that build up the family. Live them with courage, and
be sure that, insofar as you live your love for each other and for all with
the help of God’s grace, you become a living Gospel, a true domestic
Church.
"I should also like to address a word to the faithful who, even though they
agree with the Church’s teachings on the family, have had painful
experiences of breakdown and separation. I want you to know that the Pope and
the Church support you in
your struggle. I encourage you to remain united to your communities, and I
earnestly hope that your dioceses are developing suitable initiatives to
welcome and accompany you".
"We may recognise the task of man and woman to collaborate with God in the
process of transforming the world through work, science and technology. ... In
modern economic theories, there is often a utilitarian concept of work,
production and the market.
Yet God’s plan, as well as experience, show that the one-sided logic of
sheer utility and maximum profit are not conducive to harmonious development,
to the good of the family or to building a more just society, because it
brings in its wake
ferocious competition, strong inequalities, degradation of the environment,
the race for consumer goods, family tensions. Indeed, the utilitarian
mentality tends to take its toll on personal and family relationships,
reducing them to a fragile
convergence of individual interests and undermining the solidity of the social
fabric.
"One final point: man, as the image of God, is also called to rest and to
celebrate. The account of creation concludes with these words: “And on
the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he rested on the
seventh day from all his
work which he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it”.
For us Christians, the feast day is Sunday, the Lord’s day, the weekly
Easter. It is the day of the Church, the assembly convened by the Lord around
the table of the
Word and of the Eucharistic Sacrifice. ... It is the day of man and his
values: conviviality, friendship, solidarity, culture, closeness to nature,
play, sport. It is the day of the family, on which to experience together a
sense of celebration,
encounter, sharing, not least through taking part in Mass. Dear families,
despite the relentless rhythms of the modern world, do not lose a sense of the
Lord’s Day!"
"Family, work, celebration: three of God’s gifts, three dimensions of
our lives that must be brought into a harmonious balance. ... In this regard,
always give priority to the logic of being over that of having: the first
builds up, the second
ends up destroying. We must learn to believe first of all in the family, in
authentic love, the kind that comes from God and unites us to Him".
___________________________________________________________
PHILADELPHIA 2015, THE NEXT WORLD MEETING OF FAMILIES
Vatican City, 3 June 2012 (VIS) - At midday today, after having celebrated
Mass in the presence of almost one million faithful at Bresso Park in Milan
and before praying the Angelus, the Holy Father announced that the eighth
World Meeting of Families
will be held in Philadelphia, U.S.A. in the year 2015. "I send my warm
greetings to Archbishop Charles Chaput", he said, "and to the Catholics of
that great city, and look forward to meeting them there along with numerous
families from all around the
world".
Before bidding farewell to the participants in the seventh World Meeting of
Families, Benedict XVI expressed his thanks to Cardinal Ennio Antonelli,
president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, and to Cardinal Angelo
Scola, archbishop of Milan,
as well as to all the organisers and volunteers.
The Pope then went on the greet pilgrims in various languages. Speaking
French, he spoke of his joy at today's beatification in the French diocese of
Besancon of Fr. Jean-Joseph Lataste of the Order of Friars Preachers, whom he
described as an "apostle
of mercy" and "apostle of prisons".
"Dear families of Milan, Lombardy, Italy and the whole world, I greet you all
with affection and thank you for your participation", the Holy Father
concluded. "I encourage you to show solidarity towards families experiencing
the greatest difficulties. I
am thinking of the economic and social crisis, I am thinking of the recent
earthquake in Emilia. May the Virgin Mary always accompany and support you".
___________________________________________________________
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VISnews120603
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE YEAR XXII - N° 109DATE 03-06-2012
Summary: - THE STATE MUST RECOGNISE THE
SPECIFIC IDENTITY OF THE FAMILY
FOUNDED UPON MARRIAGE - DIVORCED PEOPLE ARE NOT "OUTSIDE" THE CHURCH - LOVE IS THE ONLY FORCE THAT CAN TRULY TRANSFORM THE WORLD -
PHILADELPHIA 2015, THE NEXT WORLD MEETING OF FAMILIES ___________________________________________________________
THE STATE MUST RECOGNISE THE SPECIFIC IDENTITY OF THE FAMILY FOUNDED UPON
MARRIAGE
Vatican City, 3 June 2012 (VIS) - In the archbishopric of Milan yesterday
afternoon, the Holy Father met with representatives from the civil and
military authorities, industrialists and workers, and exponents of the world
of culture in the Italian
region of Lombardy.
Benedict XVI focused his remarks on the principles of good government as
laid down by St. Ambrose who, based in Milan, governed the Roman provinces of
Liguria and Aemilia in the fourth century. These principles "are still
important" for leaders
today, the Pope said. The first quality of people in power must be justice,
"the public virtue par excellence because it concerns the good of the entire
community". Justice has to be accompanied by love of freedom, something which
distinguishes good
governors from bad ones. "Freedom is ... a precious right which must be
guaranteed by the civil authorities. However, freedom does not mean the will
of the individual but the responsibility of everyone. One of the principle
elements of the secular State
is to ensure freedom so that everyone can present their own vision of social
life, but always while respecting others and in the context of laws which seek
the good of all".
In order to guarantee the common good the laws of State "must draw
justification and strength from natural law, which is the foundation for a
social order adapted to the dignity of the human person". An exclusively
positivist view of law cannot
provide ethical guidance. The State must serve and protect the individual in
all aspects, "beginning with the right to life, which must never be
deliberately suppressed". It is also called "to recognise the specific
identity of the family, founded on
marriage and open to life, and the right of parents freely to choose the
education and formation of their children. ... The State fails to do justice
to families if it does not support freedom of education for the good of all
society", the Pope said.
The Church offers her collaboration to the State, each with their own role
and their own goals, through her doctrine, traditions, institutions and
activities, by virtue of which she places herself at the service of people.
"Suffice it to think of the
many shining figures of saints of charity, of schools and of culture, saints
who cared for the sick and the marginalised with the same service and love
with which we would serve and love the Lord. ... Christian communities promote
these actions ... as a
gratuitous superabundance of Christ's charity and of the all-embracing
experience of their faith. Apart from courageous technical and political
decisions, the crisis we are going through also has need of grat
itousness".
Finally Benedict XVI recalled the fact that St. Ambrose advised people in
positions of power to ensure they were loved. "That which love does can never
be done by fear", he said, quoting the saint. The reasons that move people to
enter into public
life "cannot but be", he told his audience, "the desire to dedicate yourselves
to the good of citizens, and therefore a clear expression and evident sign of
love. In this way politics is ennobled and becomes an exalted form of
charity".
Vatican City, 3 June 2012 (VIS) - Yesterday evening, almost half a million
people attended the "Celebration of Witnesses" at Bresso Park in Milan, Italy,
one of events of the seventh World Meeting of Families. The Holy Father
arrived at 8.30 p.m. to
participate in the celebration during which he answered questions put to him
by various families on subjects which included the economic crisis, the
position of divorced people in the Church and the indissolubility of Marriage.
Benedict XVI also
recalled his own infancy and family life.
An engaged couple from Madagascar who are studying at university in Italy
spoke of the anxiety they felt when faced with the "forever" of Marriage. The
Pope explained that falling in love, being an emotion, is not eternal. "The
emotion of love must
be purified", he said, "it must undertake a journey of discernment in which
the mind and the will also come into play. ... In the rite of Marriage the
Church does not ask whether you are in love but whether you want, whether you
are resolved. In other
words, falling in love must become true love; it must involve the will and the
mind in a journey (which is the period of engagement) of purification, of
greater profundity so that it is truly all of man, with all his capacities,
with the discernment of
reason and the force of will, who says: 'Yes, this is my life'". The Holy
Father also mentioned other important factors such as communion of life with
others, with friends, the Church, the
faith and God Himself.
A Brazilian family raised the issue of divorced couples who have remarried
and cannot avail themselves of the Sacraments. Benedict XVI affirmed that
"this is one of the the great causes of suffering for the Church today, and we
do not have simple
solutions. ... Naturally, one very important factor is prevention. This means
ensuring that, from the beginning, the act of falling love is transformed in a
more profound and mature decision. Another factor is that of accompanying
people during
marriage, to ensure that families are never alone but find authentic company
on their journey. We must tell people in this situation that the Church loves
them, but they must see and feel this love". Parishes and other Catholic
communities "must do
everything possible so that such people feel loved and accepted, that they are
not 'outsiders' even if they cannot receive absolution and the Eucharist. They
must see that they too live fully within the Church. ... The
Eucharist is real and shared if people truly enter into communion with the
Body of Christ. Even without the 'corporeal' assumption of the Sacrament, we
can be spiritually united to Christ". It is important for divorced couples "to
have the chance to
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