Subject: VISnews120620
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - N° 121
DATE 20-06-2012
Summary:
- PRAYER OPENS THE WAY TO THE MYSTERY OF GOD'S PLAN
- BENEDICT XVI APPEALS FOR AN END TO ATTACKS IN NIGERIA
- HOLY FATHER RECEIVES THE PRIME MINISTER OF LATVIA
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
___________________________________________________________
PRAYER OPENS THE WAY TO THE MYSTERY OF GOD'S PLAN
Vatican City, 20 June 2012 (VIS) - During his general audience, held this
morning in the Paul VI Hall, Benedict XVI continued his ongoing series of
catecheses on the subject of prayer in the Letters of St. Paul.
"Our prayers are often a request for help in our hour of need", he said. "That
is natural because we need help, the help of other people and of God. We must
also bear in mind that the prayer Christ taught us, the Our Father, is just
such a petition.
With that prayer the Lord teaches us our priorities. Yet, although it is
natural to ask for things in prayer, that is not the only reason to pray.
There is also cause to give thanks, ... because we receive so many good things
from God. Thus prayer
should also be praise and, if we open our hearts, we come to realise that,
despite all problems, creation is beautiful and good".
In chapter one of his Letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul praises God "because
'he has made known to us the mystery of his will'. ... For believers 'mystery'
does not so much mean the unknown as the merciful will of God, His plan of
love which was fully
revealed in Jesus Christ and offers us the chance 'to comprehend with all the
saints, what is the breadth ... and depth' of that love". The unknown mystery
of God has been revealed and it is that God, ever since the beginning and for
all eternity, loves
us.
The Pope noted how the Apostle reflects on the reasons for praising God by
presenting the fundamental elements and the various stages of the divine plan.
"Firstly we must bless God the Father because He ... called us into existence,
He called us to
sanctity, ... and we have been in His plan and His thoughts forever. ... The
vocation to sanctity and communion with God is part of His eternal plan, a
plan which stretches over history and which includes all the men and women of
the world, because the
call is universal. God excludes no one, His plan is exclusively a plan of
love. ... The Apostle highlights the gratuitous nature of this marvellous
design for humankind", the Holy Father said.
At the heart of prayer of praise St. Paul shows us the form in which the
Father's plan of salvation is realised in Christ. "Christ's sacrifice on the
cross was the unique and unrepeatable event by which the Father demonstrated
... His love for us, not
just in words, but in concrete terms. God is so tangible that His love entered
history, it became man to experience life and sensation in this world. So
tangible is His love that it shares not only in our life, but also in our
suffering and in our
death. The sacrifice of the cross makes us 'the property of God'. The blood of
Christ ... washes us of all evil and removes us from the slavery of sin and
death".
Finally the divine blessing closes with a reference to the Holy Spirit which
has been suffused in our hearts. "Redemption is not yet concluded. ... It will
reach fullness when those whom God has acquired will be completely saved. We
are all journeying
towards redemption. ... God wants us to be free, He wants our 'yes' to be
free. We travel this road of redemption together with Christ and thus
redemption is fulfilled".
"In prayer we learn to see the signs of this merciful plan in the journey of
the Church", the Holy Father concluded. "Thus do we grow in the love of God,
opening the door for the Blessed Trinity to come and dwell among us, bringing
us light and warmth
and guiding our lives. ... Prayer generates men and women not animated by
egoism, desire to posses and thirst for power, but by gratuitousness, the
desire to love and serve. In other words, they are animated by God, and only
in this way can we bring
light into the darkness of the world".
___________________________________________________________
BENEDICT XVI APPEALS FOR AN END TO ATTACKS IN NIGERIA
Vatican City, 20 June 2012 (VIS) - At the end of today's general audience,
after having delivered greetings in various languages, Benedict XVI launched
an appeal for an end to attacks which have taken place recently in Nigeria,
and which have been
particularly aimed against the Christian community there. "I appeal to leaders
for an immediate end to the killing of so many innocents", he said. "It is my
hope that the various components of Nigerian society will collaborate so as
not to start down
the path of revenge, and that all citizens will cooperate in building a
peaceful and reconciled society, in which everyone's right freely to profess
their faith is fully protected".
___________________________________________________________
HOLY FATHER RECEIVES THE PRIME MINISTER OF LATVIA
Vatican City, 20 June 2012 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the
following communique at midday today:
"Today 20 June, following his general audience, the Holy Father Benedict XVI
received in audience Valdis Dombrovskis, prime minister of the Republic of
Latvia. The prime minister subsequently went on to meet with Cardinal
Secretary of State Tarcisio
Bertone S.D.B. who was accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary
for Relations with States.
"During their cordial discussions the parties highlighted the good relations
that exist between the Holy See and the Republic of Latvia, and the valuable
contribution the Catholic Church makes to society, in particular on questions
concerning the family
and the promotion of a humanism open to spiritual and transcendental values.
"The conversation also focused on questions of mutual interest, with
particularly emphasis on the serious economic and financial crisis which is
affecting the lives of European peoples".
___________________________________________________________
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 20 June 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father accepted the resignation
from the pastoral care of the diocese of Liepaja, Latvia, presented by Bishop
Vilhelms Lapelis O.P., in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of
Canon Law.
___________________________________________________________
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_5GIywwcgBVd/X7eI5WP+nw)
Content-type: text/html; CHARSETUS-ASCII
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VISnews120620
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE YEAR XXII - N° 121DATE 20-06-2012
Summary: - PRAYER OPENS THE WAY TO THE
MYSTERY OF GOD'S PLAN -
BENEDICT XVI APPEALS FOR AN END TO ATTACKS IN NIGERIA - HOLY FATHER
RECEIVES THE PRIME MINISTER OF LATVIA - OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS ___________________________________________________________
PRAYER OPENS THE WAY TO THE MYSTERY OF GOD'S PLAN
Vatican City, 20 June 2012 (VIS) - During his general audience, held this
morning in the Paul VI Hall, Benedict XVI continued his ongoing series of
catecheses on the subject of prayer in the Letters of St. Paul.
"Our prayers are often a request for help in our hour of need", he said.
"That is natural because we need help, the help of other people and of God. We
must also bear in mind that the prayer Christ taught us, the Our Father, is
just such a petition.
With that prayer the Lord teaches us our priorities. Yet, although it is
natural to ask for things in prayer, that is not the only reason to pray.
There is also cause to give thanks, ... because we receive so many good things
from God. Thus prayer
should also be praise and, if we open our hearts, we come to realise that,
despite all problems, creation is beautiful and good".
In chapter one of his Letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul praises God
"because 'he has made known to us the mystery of his will'. ... For believers
'mystery' does not so much mean the unknown as the merciful will of God, His
plan of love which was
fully revealed in Jesus Christ and offers us the chance 'to comprehend with
all the saints, what is the breadth ... and depth' of that love". The unknown
mystery of God has been revealed and it is that God, ever since the beginning
and for all eternity,
loves us.
The Pope noted how the Apostle reflects on the reasons for praising God by
presenting the fundamental elements and the various stages of the divine plan.
"Firstly we must bless God the Father because He ... called us into existence,
He called us to
sanctity, ... and we have been in His plan and His thoughts forever. ... The
vocation to sanctity and communion with God is part of His eternal plan, a
plan which stretches over history and which includes all the men and women of
the world, because the
call is universal. God excludes no one, His plan is exclusively a plan of
love. ... The Apostle highlights the gratuitous nature of this marvellous
design for humankind", the Holy Father said.
At the heart of prayer of praise St. Paul shows us the form in which the
Father's plan of salvation is realised in Christ. "Christ's sacrifice on the
cross was the unique and unrepeatable event by which the Father demonstrated
... His love for us,
not just in words, but in concrete terms. God is so tangible that His love
entered history, it became man to experience life and sensation in this world.
So tangible is His love that it shares not only in our life, but also in our
suffering and in our
death. The sacrifice of the cross makes us 'the property of God'. The blood of
Christ ... washes us of all evil and removes us from the slavery of sin and
death".
Finally the divine blessing closes with a reference to the Holy Spirit
which has been suffused in our hearts. "Redemption is not yet concluded. ...
It will reach fullness when those whom God has acquired will be completely
saved. We are all
journeying towards redemption. ... God wants us to be free, He wants our 'yes'
to be free. We travel this road of redemption together with Christ and thus
redemption is fulfilled".
"In prayer we learn to see the signs of this merciful plan in the journey
of the Church", the Holy Father concluded. "Thus do we grow in the love of
God, opening the door for the Blessed Trinity to come and dwell among us,
bringing us light and
warmth and guiding our lives. ... Prayer generates men and women not animated
by egoism, desire to posses and thirst for power, but by gratuitousness, the
desire to love and serve. In other words, they are animated by God, and only
in this way can we
bring light into the darkness of the world".
BENEDICT XVI APPEALS FOR AN END TO ATTACKS IN NIGERIA
Vatican City, 20 June 2012 (VIS) - At the end of today's general audience,
after having delivered greetings in various languages, Benedict XVI launched
an appeal for an end to attacks which have taken place recently in Nigeria,
and which have been
particularly aimed against the Christian community there. "I appeal to leaders
for an immediate end to the killing of so many innocents", he said. "It is my
hope that the various components of Nigerian society will collaborate so as
not to start down
the path of revenge, and that all citizens will cooperate in building a
peaceful and reconciled society, in which everyone's right freely to profess
their faith is fully protected".
Vatican City, 20 June 2012 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the
following communique at midday today:
"Today 20 June, following his general audience, the Holy Father Benedict
XVI received in audience Valdis Dombrovskis, prime minister of the Republic of
Latvia. The prime minister subsequently went on to meet with Cardinal
Secretary of State Tarcisio
Bertone S.D.B. who was accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary
for Relations with States.
"During their cordial discussions the parties highlighted the good
relations that exist between the Holy See and the Republic of Latvia, and the
valuable contribution the Catholic Church makes to society, in particular on
questions concerning the
family and the promotion of a humanism open to spiritual and transcendental
values.
"The conversation also focused on questions of mutual interest, with
particularly emphasis on the serious economic and financial crisis which is
affecting the lives of European peoples".
Vatican City, 20 June 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father accepted the resignation
from the pastoral care of the diocese of Liepaja, Latvia, presented by Bishop
Vilhelms Lapelis O.P., in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of
Canon Law.
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_5GIywwcgBVd/X7eI5WP+nw)--
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