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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - N° 194
DATE 26-10-2012
Summary:
- ART AND FAITH HAVE ACCOMPANIED THE CHURCH FOR MILLENNIA
- FINAL MESSAGE OF THE SYNOD ON NEW EVANGELISATION
___________________________________________________________
ART AND FAITH HAVE ACCOMPANIED THE CHURCH FOR MILLENNIA
Vatican City, 26 October 2012 (VIS) - The Vatican Museums in collaboration
with the Polish television station TBA have produced a documentary film
entitled "Art and Faith. 'Via Pulchtitudinis'", marking the 500th anniversary
of the conclusion of the
Sistine Chapel ceiling.
Yesterday evening Benedict XVI attended a screening of the film in the Synod
Hall and, at the end of the showing, pronounced some brief remarks in which he
noted that, although this was not the first time the Vatican Museums had
sought to highlight the
bond between art and faith using the artistic heritage of the pontifical
galleries, this documentary was special because it coincided with the Year of
Faith.
"For many people", he said, "a visit to the Vatican Museums during their stay
in Rome represents their deepest and sometimes only contact with the Holy See.
Therefore, is it a good opportunity to learn about the Christian message. We
could say that the
artistic heritage of Vatican City constitutes a kind of great 'parable'
through which the Pope speaks to men and women from all over the world - and
therefore from many cultural and religious backgrounds - people who perchance
never read a papal address
or homily. ... The language of art is a language of parables, possessing a
special kind of universal openness. The 'Via Pulchtitudinis' can open
people’s minds and hearts to the eternal, raising them to the heights of
God.
"I greatly appreciated the fact that the film makes repeated reference to the
efforts of Roman Pontiffs to conserve and cherish artistic heritage, and to
their efforts in modern times to renew the Church’s dialogue with
artists", the Holy Father
added. "The collection of modern religious art in the Vatican Museums is
living proof of the fruitfulness of that dialogue. Indeed, ... the entire
great structure of the Vatican Museums ... possesses a dimension which we
could define as 'evangelising'".
On this subject the Holy Father recalled "the great sensibility to the
dialogue between art and faith" shown by Blessed John Paul II. "Art and faith
are two words which have accompanied the Church and the Holy See for 2000
years, two words which, today
too, we must adopt in our efforts to announce the Gospel of God, Who is
infinite Beauty and Love, to the men and women of our time".
Finally, the Pope expressed the hope that the documentary film would "arouse
in many people the desire for a better understanding of that faith which is
capable of inspiring so many works of art".
___________________________________________________________
FINAL MESSAGE OF THE SYNOD ON NEW EVANGELISATION
Vatican City, 26 October 2012 (VIS) - This morning in the Holy See Press
Office, the final Message of the thirteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the
Synod of Bishops was presented. The synodal assembly is taking place from 7 to
28 October and is
examining the theme: "The New Evangelisation for the Transmission of the
Christian Faith".
Participating in today’s press conference were Cardinal Giuseppe Betori,
archbishop of Florence, Italy and president of the Commission for the Message;
Archbishop Pierre-Marie Carre of Montpellier, France, special secretary, and
Archbishop Luis
Antonio G. Tagle of Manila, Philippines, secretary of the Commission for the
Message.
An English-language summary of the text, issued by the Synod, is given below.
"At the beginning of the document, the bishops recalled the evangelical
passage from John which tells about the encounter of Jesus with the Samaritan
woman at the well: this is the image of contemporary man with an empty vessel,
who is thirsting and is
nostalgic for God, and to whom the Church must turn to make the Lord present
to him. And just like the Samaritan woman, who encounters Jesus, he can but
become a witness of the proclamation of salvation and hope of the Gospel.
"Looking specifically at the context of new evangelisation, the Synod
therefore reminds of the necessity to revive faith, which risks being made
obscure in the context of today's cultures, also faced with the weakening of
the faith by many baptised
persons. The encounter with the Lord, which reveals God as love, can only come
about in the Church, as the form of receptive community and experience of
communion; from this, then, Christians become its witnesses also in other
places. However, the
Church reasserts that to evangelise one must be evangelised first of all, and
sends out a plea - starting with herself - for conversion, because the
weaknesses of Jesus' disciples weigh upon the credibility of the mission.
Conscious of the fact that the
Lord is the guide of history, and therefore that evil will not have the last
word, the bishops invite Christians to overcome fear with faith and to look at
the world with serene courage because, while full of contradictions and
challenges,
this
is still the world God loves. Therefore no pessimism: globalisation,
secularisation and the new scenarios of society, migration, even with the
difficulties and suffering they entail, must be seen as opportunities for
evangelisation, Because this is not
a question of finding new strategies as if the Gospel was to be spread like a
market product, but rediscovering the ways in which individuals come close to
Jesus.
"The Message looks at the family as the natural place for evangelisation and
reasserts that it should be supported by the Church, by politics and by
society. Within the family, the special role of women is underlined and there
is a reminder about the
painful situation of divorced and remarried persons: while reconfirming the
discipline which regards access to the Sacraments, it is reasserted that they
are in no way abandoned by the Lord, and that the Church is the welcoming
house for all. The
Message also mentions consecrated life, witness of the ultra-earthly sense of
human existence, and parishes as centres for evangelisation; it recalls the
importance of permanent formation for priests and religious men and women and
invites the laity
(movements and new ecclesial realities) to evangelise, remaining in communion
with the Church. New evangelisation finds welcome cooperation with other
Churches and ecclesial communities, they too moved by the same spirit of
proclamation of th
e
Gospel. Special attention is focused on young persons in a perspective of
listening and dialogue, to redeem and not mortify their enthusiasm.
"The Message then looks at dialogue, seen in many ways: with culture, which
needs a new alliance between faith and reason; with education; with science
which, when it does not close man in materialism, becomes an ally for the
humanisation of life; with
art; with the word of economy and work; with the ill and suffering; with
politics, where an uninterested and transparent involvement towards the common
good is asked for; with other religions. In particular, the Synod emphasises
that inter-religious
dialogue contributes to peace, refutes fundamentalism and denounces any
violence against believers. The Message recalls the possibilities offered by
the Year of Faith, by the memory of Vatican Council II and by the Catechism of
the Catholic Church.
Finally, it indicates two expressions of a life of faith, which are especially
meaningful for new evangelisation: contemplation, where silence allows for the
better reception of the Word of God, and service to the poor, in the view of
recognising Christ in their faces.
"In the last part, the Message looks at the Church in the various regions of
the world and addresses a word of encouragement for the proclamation of the
Gospel to each of them: to the Eastern Churches wishing to be able to practise
faith in conditions
of peace and religious freedom; to the African Church asking to develop
evangelisation in the encounter of ancient and new cultures, calling then upon
governments to cease conflicts and violence. The Christians of North America,
who live in a culture
with many expressions distant from the Gospel, must look towards conversion,
to being open to welcoming immigrants and refugees. Latin America is invited
to live the permanent mission to face today's challenges such as poverty,
violence, even the new
conditions of religious pluralism. The Church in Asia, even while being a
small minority, often placed at the edges of society and persecuted, is
encouraged and exhorted to the steadfastness of faith. Europe, marked by an
even aggressiv
e
secularisation and wounded by past regimes, has nevertheless created a
humanistic culture capable of giving a face to the dignity of man and to the
building of the common good; today's difficulties therefore must not
dishearten European Christians, but
must be perceived as a challenge. Oceania is asked to feel once again the
involvement of preaching the Gospel. Finally, the Message closes with trust in
Mary, the Star of New Evangelisation".
___________________________________________________________
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.
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VISnews121026
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE YEAR XXII - N° 194DATE 26-10-2012
Summary: - ART AND FAITH HAVE ACCOMPANIED
THE CHURCH FOR MILLENNIA
- FINAL MESSAGE OF THE SYNOD ON NEW EVANGELISATION
ART AND FAITH HAVE ACCOMPANIED THE CHURCH FOR MILLENNIA
Vatican City, 26 October 2012 (VIS) - The Vatican Museums in collaboration
with the Polish television station TBA have produced a documentary film
entitled "Art and Faith. 'Via Pulchtitudinis'", marking the 500th anniversary
of the conclusion of the
Sistine Chapel ceiling.
Yesterday evening Benedict XVI attended a screening of the film in the
Synod Hall and, at the end of the showing, pronounced some brief remarks in
which he noted that, although this was not the first time the Vatican Museums
had sought to highlight
the bond between art and faith using the artistic heritage of the pontifical
galleries, this documentary was special because it coincided with the Year of
Faith.
"For many people", he said, "a visit to the Vatican Museums during their
stay in Rome represents their deepest and sometimes only contact with the Holy
See. Therefore, is it a good opportunity to learn about the Christian message.
We could say that
the artistic heritage of Vatican City constitutes a kind of great 'parable'
through which the Pope speaks to men and women from all over the world - and
therefore from many cultural and religious backgrounds - people who perchance
never read a papal
address or homily. ... The language of art is a language of parables,
possessing a special kind of universal openness. The 'Via Pulchtitudinis' can
open people’s minds and hearts to the eternal, raising them to the
heights of God.
"I greatly appreciated the fact that the film makes repeated reference to
the efforts of Roman Pontiffs to conserve and cherish artistic heritage, and
to their efforts in modern times to renew the Church’s dialogue with
artists", the Holy
Father added. "The collection of modern religious art in the Vatican Museums
is living proof of the fruitfulness of that dialogue. Indeed, ... the entire
great structure of the Vatican Museums ... possesses a dimension which we
could define as
'evangelising'".
On this subject the Holy Father recalled "the great sensibility to the
dialogue between art and faith" shown by Blessed John Paul II. "Art and faith
are two words which have accompanied the Church and the Holy See for 2000
years, two words which,
today too, we must adopt in our efforts to announce the Gospel of God, Who is
infinite Beauty and Love, to the men and women of our time".
Finally, the Pope expressed the hope that the documentary film would
"arouse in many people the desire for a better understanding of that faith
which is capable of inspiring so many works of art".
Vatican City, 26 October 2012 (VIS) - This morning in the Holy See Press
Office, the final Message of the thirteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the
Synod of Bishops was presented. The synodal assembly is taking place from 7 to
28 October and is
examining the theme: "The New Evangelisation for the Transmission of the
Christian Faith".
Participating in today’s press conference were Cardinal Giuseppe
Betori, archbishop of Florence, Italy and president of the Commission for the
Message; Archbishop Pierre-Marie Carre of Montpellier, France, special
secretary, and Archbishop Luis
Antonio G. Tagle of Manila, Philippines, secretary of the Commission for the
Message.
An English-language summary of the text, issued by the Synod, is given
below.
"At the beginning of the document, the bishops recalled the evangelical
passage from John which tells about the encounter of Jesus with the Samaritan
woman at the well: this is the image of contemporary man with an empty vessel,
who is thirsting and
is nostalgic for God, and to whom the Church must turn to make the Lord
present to him. And just like the Samaritan woman, who encounters Jesus, he
can but become a witness of the proclamation of salvation and hope of the
Gospel.
"Looking specifically at the context of new evangelisation, the Synod
therefore reminds of the necessity to revive faith, which risks being made
obscure in the context of today's cultures, also faced with the weakening of
the faith by many baptised
persons. The encounter with the Lord, which reveals God as love, can only come
about in the Church, as the form of receptive community and experience of
communion; from this, then, Christians become its witnesses also in other
places. However, the
Church reasserts that to evangelise one must be evangelised first of all, and
sends out a plea - starting with herself - for conversion, because the
weaknesses of Jesus' disciples weigh upon the credibility of the mission.
Conscious of the fact that the
Lord is the guide of history, and therefore that evil will not have the last
word, the bishops invite Christians to overcome fear with faith and to look at
the world with serene courage because, while full of
contradictions and challenges, this is still the world God loves. Therefore no
pessimism: globalisation, secularisation and the new scenarios of society,
migration, even with the difficulties and suffering they entail, must be seen
as opportunities for
evangelisation, Because this is not a question of finding new strategies as if
the Gospel was to be spread like a market product, but rediscovering the ways
in which individuals come close to Jesus.
"The Message looks at the family as the natural place for evangelisation
and reasserts that it should be supported by the Church, by politics and by
society. Within the family, the special role of women is underlined and there
is a reminder about the
painful situation of divorced and remarried persons: while reconfirming the
discipline which regards access to the Sacraments, it is reasserted that they
are in no way abandoned by the Lord, and that the Church is the welcoming
house for all. The
Message also mentions consecrated life, witness of the ultra-earthly sense of
human existence, and parishes as centres for evangelisation; it recalls the
importance of permanent formation for priests and religious men and women and
invites the laity
(movements and new ecclesial realities) to evangelise, remaining in communion
with the Church. New evangelisation finds welcome cooperation with other
Churches and ecclesial communities, they too moved by the same spirit of
proclamation of the Gospel. Special attention is focused on young persons in a
perspective of listening and dialogue, to redeem and not mortify their
enthusiasm.
"The Message then looks at dialogue, seen in many ways: with culture, which
needs a new alliance between faith and reason; with education; with science
which, when it does not close man in materialism, becomes an ally for the
humanisation of life;
with art; with the word of economy and work; with the ill and suffering; with
politics, where an uninterested and transparent involvement towards the common
good is asked for; with other religions. In particular, the Synod emphasises
that
inter-religious dialogue contributes to peace, refutes fundamentalism and
denounces any violence against believers. The Message recalls the
possibilities offered by the Year of Faith, by the memory of Vatican Council
II and by the Catechism of the
Catholic Church. Finally, it indicates two expressions of a life of faith,
which are especially meaningful for new evangelisation: contemplation, where
silence allows for the better reception of the Word of God, and service to the
poor, in the
view of recognising Christ in their faces.
"In the last part, the Message looks at the Church in the various regions
of the world and addresses a word of encouragement for the proclamation of the
Gospel to each of them: to the Eastern Churches wishing to be able to practise
faith in
conditions of peace and religious freedom; to the African Church asking to
develop evangelisation in the encounter of ancient and new cultures, calling
then upon governments to cease conflicts and violence. The Christians of North
America, who live in a
culture with many expressions distant from the Gospel, must look towards
conversion, to being open to welcoming immigrants and refugees. Latin America
is invited to live the permanent mission to face today's challenges such as
poverty, violence, even
the new conditions of religious pluralism. The Church in Asia, even while
being a small minority, often placed at the edges of society and persecuted,
is encouraged and exhorted to the steadfastness of faith. Europe, marked by an
even aggressive secularisation and wounded by past regimes, has nevertheless
created a humanistic culture capable of giving a face to the dignity of man
and to the building of the common good; today's difficulties therefore must
not dishearten European
Christians, but must be perceived as a challenge. Oceania is asked to feel
once again the involvement of preaching the Gospel. Finally, the Message
closes with trust in Mary, the Star of New Evangelisation".
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_+hkCnjXGb7IJvQftnDQ8Sg)--
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