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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - N° 124
DATE 25-06-2012
Summary:
- FOSTERING VOCATIONS TO THE PRIESTHOOD IS A CONSTANT CHALLENGE FOR THE CHURCH
- POPE SPEAKS ABOUT ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST
- SOLIDARITY OF CHURCH WITH EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS IN ITALY
- POPE PRESIDES MEETING OF HEADS OF DICASTERY OF ROMAN CURIA
- HOLY SEE PRESS OFFICE DIRECTOR ON POPE'S MEETINGS WITH CARDINALS
- COMMUNICATIONS ADVISOR FOR THE SECRETARIAT OF STATE
- AUDIENCES
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
___________________________________________________________
FOSTERING VOCATIONS TO THE PRIESTHOOD IS A CONSTANT CHALLENGE FOR THE CHURCH
Vatican City, 25 June 2012 (VIS) - A press conference was held this morning in
the Holy See Press Office to present the document "Pastoral Guidelines for
Fostering Vocations to Priestly Ministry". The conference was presented by
Cardinal Zenon
Grocholewski; Archbishop Jean-Louis Brugues O.P., and Msgr. Angelo Vincenzo
Zani, respectively prefect, secretary and under secretary of the Congregation
for Catholic Education.
The cardinal explained that the document had been requested during the plenary
of the congregation in 2005. Preparation began in 2008 on the basis of replies
and suggestions from the various episcopal conferences, and the final text was
approved by the
Holy Father on 25 March 2012, twentieth anniversary of the Apostolic
Exhortation "Pastores dabo vobis".
The document is divided into three parts, of which the first examines the
current situation of priestly vocations in the world today, and the relevant
forms of pastoral care. Part two analyses the identity of the ministerial
priesthood, while part three
makes some suggestions for the pastoral care of vocations. The key to
understanding the text, the cardinal said, lies in the idea that "fostering
vocations to the priesthood is a constant challenge for the Church".
Part one of the document identifies three factors which hinder vocational
pastoral care, evident above all in Churches of ancient Christian tradition in
the west: falling birthrates and the crisis in families, the spread of a
secularised mentality, and
the difficult conditions in which priests live and exercise their ministry.
"In the light of those difficulties", said Cardinal Grocholewski, the document
"lays down the conditions necessary to ensure that the grace of the call finds
fertile terrain in the Church, and openness among young people to the priestly
vocation". This
includes "creating a fruitful soil for Christian life in the ecclesial
community; ... the irreplaceable function of prayer; ... the importance of
integrated pastoral care; ... a new drive to evangelisation and the mission;
... the central role of the
family; ... a coherent and joyful witness of life on the part of priests; ...
the educational effectiveness of voluntary work; ... and the importance of
schools and universities".
For his part Archbishop Brugues explained that part two of the document covers
certain specific elements which, he said, "must be highlighted, precisely
because they are being threatened or put in the shade and set aside by the
well-known difficulties
in Church life and by contemporary culture. This risks provoking dangerous
deviations in the value of vocations to priestly ministry".
These elements include "a tendency towards the progressive transformation of
the priesthood into a profession". This can be associated with "the danger of
exaggerated activism, an increasing individualism which not infrequently
closes priests in a
perverse and depressing solitude, and the confusion of roles in the Church
which comes about when we lose the sense of distinction between roles and
responsibilities, and not everyone comes together to collaborate in the one
mission entrusted to the
People of God".
Part two also emphasises the fact that priestly ministry is to be understood
"in the framework of a dialogue of love between God and man which, though it
exists in all Christian vocations, assumes the characteristic of a call to a
typical, stable and
demanding relationship with Jesus Himself, the one model of the priesthood in
the New Testament. ... This new and specific relationship with Jesus causes
the person called to enter into an equally new and specific relationship with
the Christian
community".
Finally, part three of the document focuses on certain aspects of formation
for the priestly ministry. These include "a profound experience of community
life in order to avoid new forms of clericalism; ... complete integration and
emotional maturity;
... intense and obedient participation in the ecclesiastical context, with
concrete love for one's own particular Church; ... generous openness to the
universal dimensions of the mission; ... the decisive role of those who
accompany vocations and ...
the presentation of exemplary figures of priests".
The conference ended with some words from Msgr. Angelo Vincenzo Zani, who
explained how the text "reiterates the fact that a fruitful terrain for
vocations is a Christian community which listens to the Word, prays with the
liturgy, and demonstrates
charity. The document calls the entire Church trustingly to redouble her
efforts to educate people to welcome the call of God to priestly ministry,
which still today we believe is spread by His Providence and adapted to the
needs of the Church and of
the evangelisation of the world".
___________________________________________________________
POPE SPEAKS ABOUT ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST
Vatican City, 24 June 2012 (VIS) - This morning, Solemnity of the Birth of St.
John the Baptist, Benedict XVI made his customary Sunday appearance at the
window of his private study to pray the Angelus with faithful gathered below
in St. Peter's Square.
"With the exception of the Virgin Mary, John the Baptist is the only saint for
whom the liturgy celebrates the day of birth", said the Pope. "This is because
his birth is closely connected to the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of
God. From the
womb, in fact, John was the precursor of Jesus. His prodigious conception was
announced by the Angel to Mary as a sign that 'nothing will be impossible with
God'. ... The four Gospels give great importance to the figure of John the
Baptist as the
prophet who concluded the Old Testament, then opened the New by indicating
Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah, the Anointed One of God. And indeed Jesus
would speak of John in these terms: 'This is the one about whom it is written:
See, I am sending my
messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you'".
"John's father Zechariah", the Holy Father went on, "was a priest of the Old
Testament order. He did not immediately believe in such unexpected paternity
and was therefore made mute until the day of the child's circumcision". On
that day, "moved by the
Holy Spirit, Zechariah spoke thus of his son's mission: 'And you, child, will
be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to
prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the
forgiveness of their sins'.
"All this happened thirty years later", Pope Benedict added, "when John began
performing baptisms in the River Jordan, calling people to prepare themselves,
by that act of penance, to the imminent coming of the Messiah, which God had
revealed to him
during the period he spent in the wilderness of Judea. For this reason he is
called 'Baptist'; in other words 'Baptiser'. When one day Jesus Himself came
from Nazareth to be baptised, John at first refused, then consented; he saw
the Holy Spirit come to
rest upon Jesus, and heard the voice of the heavenly Father proclaiming His
Son".
Yet the Baptist's mission was not yet complete. "Shortly afterwards he was
asked to precede Jesus also in violent death. John was decapitated in the
prisons of King Herod, thus bearing compete witness to the Lamb of God Whom he
had been the first to
recognise and announce".
___________________________________________________________
SOLIDARITY OF CHURCH WITH EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS IN ITALY
Vatican City, 24 June 2012 (VIS) - After praying the Angelus, the Holy Father
recalled the fact that today in Italy marks the Day of the Pope’s
Charity and he thanked parish communities, families and faithful for their
"constant and generous
support which goes to help so many of our bothers and sisters in difficulty".
In this context he also reminded the faithful that he will make a brief visit
to areas recently affected by earthquakes in northern Italy. "I would like
this to be", he said, "a sign of the solidarity of the entire Church, and
therefore I invite
everyone to accompany me with their prayers".
Finally, he also had words of greeting for Polish faithful who, with the
archbishop of Poznan, the Oratorian Fathers and pilgrims at the shrine of the
Mother of God in Gostyn, are celebrating the five hundredth anniversary of its
foundation. "Let us
thank God", the Pope said, "for the grace which that place has showered upon
generations of faithful through the intercession of the Virgin Mary. May her
protection accompany you always".
___________________________________________________________
POPE PRESIDES MEETING OF HEADS OF DICASTERY OF ROMAN CURIA
Vatican City, 23 June 2012 (VIS) - This morning in the Bologna Hall of the
Vatican Apostolic Palace, Benedict XVI presided at a meeting of heads of
dicasteries of the Roman Curia.
___________________________________________________________
HOLY SEE PRESS OFFICE DIRECTOR ON POPE'S MEETINGS WITH CARDINALS
Vatican City, 24 June 2012 (VIS) - Fr. Lombardi has provided journalists with
information about meetings the Pope held on Saturday 23 June, first with heads
of dicasteries of the Roman Curia, and subsequently with Cardinals George
Pell, archbishop of
Sydney, Australia; Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops;
Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious
Dialogue; Camillo Ruini, vicar general emeritus of His Holiness for the
diocese of Rome, and Jozef
Tomko, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples.
"In the context of the circumstances that have arisen following the
publication of reserved documents, the Holy Father is seeking to deepen his
knowledge of the situation through continuous dialogue with those people who
share with him the
responsibility for governing the Church", Fr. Lombardi said.
"Last Saturday, as has already been made public, he became more fully informed
on the course of the investigations in a meeting with the Commission of
Cardinals responsible for conducting them, led by Cardinal Julian Herranz.
"This morning he is participating in the meeting with heads of dicasteries
which, as is customary, is focusing on the issue of coordinating the work of
the Roman Curia, something which is particularly important and urgent today in
order to bear
effective witness to the spirit of union which animates it.
"In the afternoon he has chosen to meet with a number of members of the
College of Cardinals who, by virtue of their vast and varied experience
serving the Church, not only in Rome but also internationally, may profitably
exchange ideas and suggestions
with the Holy Father in order to help re-establish that climate of serenity
and trust in the service of the Roman Curia.
"Naturally the Holy Father will, over coming days, continue his discussions
and reflections, also taking advantage of the fact that many pastors have come
to Rome for the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, which is an extraordinary
opportunity for the
community of the universal Church to feel united to the Pope in prayer,
service, and the witness of faith for mankind in our time".
___________________________________________________________
COMMUNICATIONS ADVISOR FOR THE SECRETARIAT OF STATE
Vatican City, 24 June 2012 (VIS) - The American journalist Gregory Burke, who
is currently Rome correspondent for Fox News, will shortly take up the post of
"communications advisor" to the Secretariat of State, according to an
announcement made by Holy
See Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J.
"This new figure", Fr. Lombardi explained, "will have the task of dealing with
communications issues in the work of the Secretariat of State, and will
oversee relations with the Holy See Press Office and other media institutions
of the Holy See".
___________________________________________________________
AUDIENCES
Vatican City, 25 June 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience:
- Fra' Matthew Festing, prince and grand master of the Sovereign Military
Order of Malta, accompanied by an entourage.
- Cardinal Marc Ouellet P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
- Cardinal Jose Manuel Estepa Llaurens, archbishop military ordinary emeritus
of Spain.
On Saturday 23 June he received in audience: Cardinal George Pell, archbishop
of Sydney, Australia; Cardinal Marc Ouellet P.S.S., prefect of the
Congregation for Bishops; Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the
Pontifical Council for
Inter-religious Dialogue; Cardinal Camillo Ruini, vicar general emeritus of
His Holiness for the diocese of Rome, and Cardinal Jozef Tomko, prefect
emeritus of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples.
___________________________________________________________
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 25 June 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Pius Riana
Prapdi, vicar general of the archdiocese of Semarang, Indonesia, as bishop of
Ketapang (area 34,600, population 543,314, Catholics 101,593, priests 30,
religious 91), Indonesia.
The bishop-elect was born in Painiai, Indonesia in 1967 and ordained a priest
in 1995. He studied in Rome and has worked, among other things, in pastoral
care and as director of diocesan Caritas. He succeeds Bishop Blasius
Pujaraharja, whose resignation
from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon
having reached the age limit.
On Saturday 23 June it was made public that he:
- Gave his consent to the canonical election by the Synod of Bishops of the
Greek-Melkite Church of Bishop Jean-Abdo Arbach B.C., apostolic exarch for
faithful of Greek-Melkite rite resident in Argentina, as metropolitan
archbishop of Homs, Hama and
Yabroud (Catholics 30,000, priests 19, permanent deacons 1, religious 29),
Syria.
- Appointed Archbishop Alain Paul Lebeaupin, apostolic nuncio in Kenya and
permanent observer to the United Nations Environment and Human Settlements
Programs (UNEP and UN-Habitat), as apostolic nuncio to the European Union.
- Appointed as members of the Council of Cardinals for the Study of the
Organisational and Economic Problems of the Holy See: Cardinal Polycarp Pengo,
archbishop of Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania; Cardinal Telesphore Placidus Toppo,
archbishop of Ranchi,
India, and Cardinal John Tong Hon, bishop of Hong Kong, China.
___________________________________________________________
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VISnews120625
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE YEAR XXII - N° 124DATE 25-06-2012
Summary: - FOSTERING VOCATIONS TO THE
PRIESTHOOD IS A CONSTANT CHALLENGE
FOR THE CHURCH - POPE SPEAKS ABOUT ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST -
SOLIDARITY OF CHURCH WITH EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS IN ITALY - POPE PRESIDES
MEETING OF HEADS OF DICASTERY OF ROMAN CURIA - HOLY SEE PRESS OFFICE
DIRECTOR ON POPE'S MEETINGS WITH
CARDINALS - COMMUNICATIONS ADVISOR FOR THE SECRETARIAT OF STATE -
AUDIENCES - OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
FOSTERING VOCATIONS TO THE PRIESTHOOD IS A CONSTANT CHALLENGE FOR THE
CHURCH
Vatican City, 25 June 2012 (VIS) - A press conference was held this morning
in the Holy See Press Office to present the document "Pastoral Guidelines for
Fostering Vocations to Priestly Ministry". The conference was presented by
Cardinal Zenon
Grocholewski; Archbishop Jean-Louis Brugues O.P., and Msgr. Angelo Vincenzo
Zani, respectively prefect, secretary and under secretary of the Congregation
for Catholic Education.
The cardinal explained that the document had been requested during the
plenary of the congregation in 2005. Preparation began in 2008 on the basis of
replies and suggestions from the various episcopal conferences, and the final
text was approved by
the Holy Father on 25 March 2012, twentieth anniversary of the Apostolic
Exhortation "Pastores dabo vobis".
The document is divided into three parts, of which the first examines the
current situation of priestly vocations in the world today, and the relevant
forms of pastoral care. Part two analyses the identity of the ministerial
priesthood, while part
three makes some suggestions for the pastoral care of vocations. The key to
understanding the text, the cardinal said, lies in the idea that "fostering
vocations to the priesthood is a constant challenge for the Church".
Part one of the document identifies three factors which hinder vocational
pastoral care, evident above all in Churches of ancient Christian tradition in
the west: falling birthrates and the crisis in families, the spread of a
secularised mentality,
and the difficult conditions in which priests live and exercise their
ministry.
"In the light of those difficulties", said Cardinal Grocholewski, the
document "lays down the conditions necessary to ensure that the grace of the
call finds fertile terrain in the Church, and openness among young people to
the priestly vocation".
This includes "creating a fruitful soil for Christian life in the ecclesial
community; ... the irreplaceable function of prayer; ... the importance of
integrated pastoral care; ... a new drive to evangelisation and the mission;
... the central role of
the family; ... a coherent and joyful witness of life on the part of priests;
... the educational effectiveness of voluntary work; ... and the importance of
schools and universities".
For his part Archbishop Brugues explained that part two of the document
covers certain specific elements which, he said, "must be highlighted,
precisely because they are being threatened or put in the shade and set aside
by the well-known
difficulties in Church life and by contemporary culture. This risks provoking
dangerous deviations in the value of vocations to priestly ministry".
These elements include "a tendency towards the progressive transformation
of the priesthood into a profession". This can be associated with "the danger
of exaggerated activism, an increasing individualism which not infrequently
closes priests in a
perverse and depressing solitude, and the confusion of roles in the Church
which comes about when we lose the sense of distinction between roles and
responsibilities, and not everyone comes together to collaborate in the one
mission entrusted to the
People of God".
Part two also emphasises the fact that priestly ministry is to be
understood "in the framework of a dialogue of love between God and man which,
though it exists in all Christian vocations, assumes the characteristic of a
call to a typical, stable and
demanding relationship with Jesus Himself, the one model of the priesthood in
the New Testament. ... This new and specific relationship with Jesus causes
the person called to enter into an equally new and specific relationship with
the Christian
community".
Finally, part three of the document focuses on certain aspects of formation
for the priestly ministry. These include "a profound experience of community
life in order to avoid new forms of clericalism; ... complete integration and
emotional maturity;
... intense and obedient participation in the ecclesiastical context, with
concrete love for one's own particular Church; ... generous openness to the
universal dimensions of the mission; ... the decisive role of those who
accompany vocations and ...
the presentation of exemplary figures of priests".
The conference ended with some words from Msgr. Angelo Vincenzo Zani, who
explained how the text "reiterates the fact that a fruitful terrain for
vocations is a Christian community which listens to the Word, prays with the
liturgy, and demonstrates
charity. The document calls the entire Church trustingly to redouble her
efforts to educate people to welcome the call of God to priestly ministry,
which still today we believe is spread by His Providence and adapted to the
needs of the Church and of
the evangelisation of the world".
Vatican City, 24 June 2012 (VIS) - This morning, Solemnity of the Birth of
St. John the Baptist, Benedict XVI made his customary Sunday appearance at the
window of his private study to pray the Angelus with faithful gathered below
in St. Peter's
Square.
"With the exception of the Virgin Mary, John the Baptist is the only saint
for whom the liturgy celebrates the day of birth", said the Pope. "This is
because his birth is closely connected to the mystery of the Incarnation of
the Son of God. From the
womb, in fact, John was the precursor of Jesus. His prodigious conception was
announced by the Angel to Mary as a sign that 'nothing will be impossible with
God'. ... The four Gospels give great importance to the figure of John the
Baptist as the
prophet who concluded the Old Testament, then opened the New by indicating
Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah, the Anointed One of God. And indeed Jesus
would speak of John in these terms: 'This is the one about whom it is written:
See, I am sending my
messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you'".
"John's father Zechariah", the Holy Father went on, "was a priest of the
Old Testament order. He did not immediately believe in such unexpected
paternity and was therefore made mute until the day of the child's
circumcision". On that day, "moved by
the Holy Spirit, Zechariah spoke thus of his son's mission: 'And you, child,
will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord
to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the
forgiveness of their
sins'.
"All this happened thirty years later", Pope Benedict added, "when John
began performing baptisms in the River Jordan, calling people to prepare
themselves, by that act of penance, to the imminent coming of the Messiah,
which God had revealed to him
during the period he spent in the wilderness of Judea. For this reason he is
called 'Baptist'; in other words 'Baptiser'. When one day Jesus Himself came
from Nazareth to be baptised, John at first refused, then consented; he saw
the Holy Spirit come to
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