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TO GIVE SPACE TO THE ELDERLY IS TO GIVE SPACE TO LIFE
Vatican City, 12 November 2012 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father visited
the Sant Egidio Community's "Viva gli Anziani" rest home for the elderly in
Rome. In a brief address to the residents he said that he came among them "as
Bishop of Rome, but
also as an elderly person visiting his peers. I well know the difficulties and
limitations of age, and am aware that for many people these difficulties are
aggravated by the economic crisis".
"At times", he continued, "at a certain age, one turns to the past with
regret for the loss of youth, its energy and plans for the future. At times
our perspective is veiled with sadness, as we consider this phase as the
twilight of life. This
morning, ideally addressing all the elderly and aware of the difficulties that
our age brings, I would like to say to you with profound conviction: it is
good to be elderly! At every age it is necessary to know how to discover the
presence and the
blessing of the Lord, and the richness that this brings. We must not allow
ourselves to be imprisoned by sadness! We have received the gift of long life.
To live is beautiful, even at our age and despite infirmities or limitations.
Let our faces always
reflect the joy of being loved by God, and never sadness".
The Holy Father recalled that in the Bible, "longevity is considered as a
blessing from God; today this blessing is widespread and must be seen as a
gift to appreciate and value. Yet often society, dominated by the logic of
efficiency and profit,
does not welcome it as such; on the contrary, it often rejects it, considering
the elderly as unproductive and useless". However, the Pope observed, the
elderly are a source of wisdom and "a great resource. The quality of a
society, of a civilisation,
may also be judged by how it treats its elderly and by the place reserved for
them in communal life. To give space to the elderly is to give space to
life!"
Benedict XVI's visit forms a part of the European Year for Active Ageing
and Solidarity Among Generations, and in this context he affirmed that the
elderly "are of value to society, above all for the young. There can be no
true human education and
growth without fruitful contact with the elderly, because their very existence
is like an open book in which younger generations may find valuable guidance
for their own journey through life".
"At our age", he observed, "we often experience the need for the assistance
of others, and this also happens to the Pope. ... I would like to invite you
to see in this too a gift from the Lord. It is a grace to be supported and
accompanied, to
receive the affection of others! This is important in every phase of life: no
one can live alone and without help; humans are relational beings. …
Never be discouraged: you are valuable to society, even in suffering and
sickness. And this phase
of life is a gift that also allows us to deepen our relationship with God. The
example of Blessed Pope John Paul II was and remains illuminating to all. Do
not forget that, among the valuable resources you have, there is the essential
gift of
prayer".
"The prayer of the elderly can protect the world, helping it perhaps in a
more incisive way than is achieved by the efforts of many. I would like,
today, to entrust to your prayer the good of the Church and peace in the
world. The Pope loves you and
counts on you all! Know that you are loved by God, and bring to our society,
often so individualistic and intent upon efficiency, a ray of God's love".
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NO ACT OF KINDNESS IS MEANINGLESS BEFORE GOD
Vatican City, 11 November 2012 (VIS) - At midday, Benedict XVI appeared at
the window of his studio to pray the Angelus with faithful gathered in St.
Peter's Square. He commented on this Sunday's liturgy of the Word, which
presents two widows as
examples of faith: one in the First Book of Kings, the other in the Gospel of
Mark.
"Both these women are very poor, and it is precisely in this condition that
they demonstrate their great faith in God. The first widow appears in the
cycle of narratives on the prophet Elijah. During a period of famine he
receives an order from the
Lord to go to Sidon, therefore outside Israel and in pagan territory. There he
encounters a widow and asks her for some water to drink and a little bread.
The woman answers that all she has is a handful of flour and a drop of oil,
but since the prophet
insists and promises her that, if she listens to him, she will no longer lack
flour and oil, she grants his request and is rewarded. The second widow, from
the Gospel, is noticed by Jesus in the temple of Jerusalem, in the treasury
where the people
offer contributions. Jesus sees that this woman throws two coins into the
chest and then calls the disciples to Him, explaining that her offering is
greater than that given by the rich as, while they gave what was superfluous to
them, she gave all she had to live on".
These two biblical episodes offer us "valuable teaching on faith", said the
Pope. "The faith is presented as the interior attitude of one who bases his or
her own life on God, on the Word, and who confides fully in Him. To be a
widow, in ancient
times, constituted in itself a condition of grave need. Thus, in the Bible,
widows and orphans are people of whom God takes particular care; although they
have lost their means of subsistence on earth, God remains as their Spouse or
their Father.
However, the Scriptures state that the objective condition of need, in this
case the fact of being a widow, is not enough: God always asks us to adhere
willingly to faith, which is expressed as love for Him and for one's
neighbour. No one is so poor
that they are unable to give something. And indeed, both these widows show
their faith in an act of charity: one towards the prophet and the other in
giving alms. They therefore demonstrate the indivisible unity of faith and
charity, which is like that between love for God and love for neighbour".
The Pope concluded by recalling the words of St. Leo the Great, "No act of
kindness is meaningless before God, no mercy is fruitless".
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HOLY FATHER'S GREETINGS FOLLOWING THE ANGELUS
Vatican City, 11 November 2012 (VIS) - After praying the Angelus, the Pope
recalled how yesterday in Spoleto, Italy, Maria Luisa Prosperi, an Italian
abbess of the Benedictine convent of Trevi who lived in the nineteenth
century, was declared a
blessed. "Let us praise God for this His daughter, who chose to dedicate her
life to the Passion of Christ", he said.
Going on then to refer to the Day of Thanksgiving, which is being
celebrated today in Italy, he observed: "In the context of the Year of Faith,
the theme of this Day - 'Trust in the Lord and do good, so you will live in
the land' - reminds us of the
need for a lifestyle rooted in the faith so that, with a grateful heart, we
may recognise the creative and provident hand of God which nourishes His
children. My greetings and best wishes to all who work in agriculture".
The Holy Father also had words for Polish pilgrims. "The Feast of
Independence which is being celebrated today in Poland, commemorates the faith
of your forefathers, your history and the strength of spirit of recent
generations. On these foundations
build the prosperity of your nation. Today, moreover, I support the prayers
which - at the initiative of the Aid to the Church in Need - you are offering
for Christians in Egypt on this Day of Solidarity with the Persecuted
Church".
Finally, the Pope greeted participants in a congress on Fr. Teilhard de
Chardin, which has been held over recent days at the Pontifical Gregorian
University in Rome.
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SACRED MUSIC CONTRIBUTES TO NEW EVANGELISATION
Vatican City, 10 November 2012 (VIS) - "Sacred music can support faith and
contribute to new evangelisation", said the Pope to members of the "Santa
Cecilia" Italian musical association gathered in Rome.
In his address to the group, Benedict XVI, noting that this event coincides
with the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of Vatican Council II and the
proclamation of the Year of Faith, spoke at length about the teachings of the
Conciliar
Constitution on the liturgy, and in particular the part referring to sacred
music.
He said, "on the subject of the faith, our thoughts naturally tend towards
St. Augustine, … and the important role in his conversion played by
psalms and hymns in the liturgies presided by St. Ambrose. If indeed faith is
born of listening to
the Word of God - listening not only with the senses, but also allowing the
passage from the senses to the mind and the heart - there is no doubt that
music and above all song are able to confer greater communicative power to
psalms and canticles. Among
the charisms of St. Ambrose was a notable musical capacity and sensibility
and, following his consecration as bishop of Milan, he dedicated this gift to
the service of faith and evangelisation".
Benedict XVI observed that "the Constitution 'Sacrosanctum Concilium', in
accordance with the tradition of the Church, teaches that 'sacred song united
to the words ... forms a necessary or integral part of the solemn liturgy'.
Why 'necessary' and
'integral'? Certainly not for purely aesthetic reasons, in a superficial
sense, but because by virtue of beauty, it contributes to nurturing and
expressing faith, and therefore to the glory of God and the sanctification of
the faithful, which are the
aims of sacred music. Music … is not solely an accessory to or external
embellishment of the liturgy, but is itself liturgy".
Referring to the relationship between sacred song and new evangelisation,
the Pope remarked that the Conciliar Constitution on the liturgy reminds us of
"the importance of sacred music in the 'missio ad gentes' and exhorts us to
give due recognition
to traditional forms of music. But it is precisely in countries of ancient
evangelisation … that sacred music, with its great tradition belonging
to our western culture can, and indeed does, have an important role to play in
encouraging the
rediscovery of God, a renewed approach to the Christian message and the
mysteries of faith".
The Pope recalled the example of the poet Paul Claudel, whose conversion
occurred while he listened to the 'Magnificat' during Christmas Vespers at the
Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris. "But, such illustrious cases aside, let us
consider how many
hearts have been deeply touched by listening to sacred music, and how many,
like Claudel, have been newly drawn to God by the beauty of liturgical music".
Benedict XVI urged the members of the association to "make efforts to improve
the quality of
liturgical song, to recover and promote the great musical tradition of the
Church, that finds two of its most exalted expressions in Gregorian chant and
polyphony".
"The active participation of all the People of God in the liturgy cannot
consist only of speaking, but also of listening, welcoming the Word with the
senses and the spirit, and this is true also of sacred music".
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POPE ESTABLISHES PONTIFICAL ACADEMY FOR LATIN
Vatican City, 10 November 2012 (VIS) - By the Motu Proprio "Latina lingua"
published today, Benedict XVI has established the Pontifical Academy for
Latin, which will be part of the Pontifical Council for Culture. The new
academy will be directed by a
president assisted by a secretary, to be appointed by the Pope, and will
comprise an academic council. It will supersede the foundation "Latinitas",
established by Paul VI with the Chirograph "Romani Sermonis" of 30 June
1976.
"The Latin language", says the Pope in his Motu Proprio, "has always been
held in high regard by the Catholic Church and the Roman pontiffs, who have
promoted the knowledge and diffusion of the language by making it their own,
able to universally
transmit the message of the Gospel, as was authoritatively confirmed by my
predecessor Blessed John XXIII in the Apostolic Constitution 'Veterum
sapientia'.
"Since the Pentecost the Church has spoken and prayed in all languages
known to humanity; however, the Christian communities of the first centuries
made extensive use of Greek and Latin, languages of universal communication in
the world in which they
lived, thanks to which the novelty of the Word of Christ encountered the
heritage of Hellenistic-Roman culture. After the fall of the western Roman
empire the Church of Rome not only continued to use Latin, but in a certain
sense also became its
custodian and promoter in the theological and liturgical fields, as well as in
education and the transmission of knowledge.
"In our times too, knowledge of Latin language and culture remains as
necessary as ever for the study of the sources of numerous ecclesiastical
disciplines including, among others, theology, liturgy, Patristics and canon
law, as confirmed by Vatican
Council II. Furthermore, the 'editio typica' of the liturgical books of the
Roman Rite, the most important documents of the pontifical Magisterium and the
most solemn Acts of the Roman pontiffs are written in Latin, precisely to
emphasise the universal
nature of the Church.
"However, in contemporary culture, within the context of a generalised
deterioration in humanistic studies, we see the danger of an increasingly
superficial knowledge of Latin, which may also be detected in the
philosophical and theological studies
of future priests. On the other hand, in our world in which science and
technology are so prominent, we also find renewed interest in the Latin
language and culture, and not only in those continents with Greco-Roman
cultural roots. This interest seems
particularly significant inasmuch as it is present not only in academic and
institutional environments, but also involves young people and scholars from
very different nations and traditions.
"There is therefore an apparent pressing need to encourage commitment to a
greater knowledge and more competent use of Latin, in the ecclesial
environment as well as in the world of culture at large. To give prominence
and resonance to this effort,
it is important to adopt teaching methods adapted to contemporary conditions,
and to promote a network of relationships between academic institutions and
among scholars with the aim of promoting the rich and varied heritage of Latin
civilisation".
The Holy Father concludes by saying that, "in order to contribute to the
achievement of these aims, and following in the wake of my venerated
predecessors, with the present Motu Proprio I today establish the Pontifical
Academy for Latin".
By this Motu Proprio the Pope approves the statute of the new academy "ad
experimentum" for a five-year period.
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MESSAGE TO THE NEW ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY
Vatican City, 10 November 2012 (VIS) - Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, has sent a message to the
new Archbishop of Canterbury and Primate of the Anglican Communion, the Right
Reverend Justin
Welby. Writing on behalf of Pope Benedict XVI and of his own dicastery, the
cardinal expresses his "congratulations and warmest best wishes.
"Relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion are
a hugely important part of the ecumenical call for all Christians to seek
greater fidelity to the Lord’s will, so clearly expressed in his prayer
to the Father at the
Last Supper 'that all may be one'. For almost fifty years, as you are well
aware, there has been a formal theological dialogue which continues to seek a
deeper understanding of the great heritage shared by Anglicans and Catholics,
as well as the points
of divergence which still impede fully restored ecclesial communion. During
that same time, relations between succeeding Popes and Archbishops of
Canterbury have been marked by numerous meetings which have expressed intense
spiritual and human
friendship, and a shared concern for our Gospel witness and service to the
human family.
"I am certain that under your leadership those excellent relations will
continue to bear fruit, and I look forward to meeting you personally, and to
future opportunities to share our common commitment to the cause of Christian
Unity, 'so that the
world may believe'.
"Please accept the assurance of my earnest prayers for you and your family
as you prepare for a new phase in your dedicated service of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ".
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VATICAN TRIBUNAL SENTENCE AGAINST CLAUDIO SCIARPELLETTI
Vatican City, 10 November 2012 (VIS) - This morning the Tribunal of Vatican
City State published its ruling in the trial against Claudio Sciarpelletti,
the computer technician employed by the Secretariat of State implicated in the
"Vatileaks"
case.
The Tribunal, pursuant to Article 225 of the Penal Code, ruled that the
defendant was "guilty of the offence of assisting in the elusion of the
investigations by the Authorities" and "therefore sentences him to prison for
four months".
"Pursuant to Article 26 of the Law of 21 June 1969, in view of the
accused's service record and lack of previous convictions, the Tribunal
reduces the sentence to imprisonment for two (2) months". Pursuant to Article
90 of the same law, the Tribunal
"orders the suspension of the sentence for a period of five years, according
to the conditions of law". In the light of Article 427 of the Penal Code, the
Tribunal orders the suspension of "mention of the sentence on the record of
previous offences
until such time as the accused commits further offence".
"Pursuant to Articles 39 of the Penal Code and 429 of the Code of Penal
Procedure", the Tribunal "orders Claudio Sciarpelletti to defray the costs of
the trial and reimburses him the sum of one thousand euros he had deposited as
bail".
"Signed: Giuseppe Dalla Torre, president; Paolo Papanti-Pelletier;
Venerando Marano, and Raffaele Ottaviano, substitute registrar".
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CARDINAL AMIGO VALLEJO, POPES SPECIAL ENVOY TO PUERTO RICO
Vatican City, 10 November 2012 (VIS) - Made public today was a Letter,
written in Latin and dated 10 October, in which the Holy Father appoints
Cardinal Carlos Amigo Vallejo O.F.M., archbishop emeritus of Seville, Spain,
as his special envoy to
concluding celebrations for the fifth centenary of the arrival of the first
bishop of Puerto Rico, Don Alonso Manso O.F.M. The event is due to take place
in the city of San Juan, Puerto Rico, on 19 November.
The Cardinal will be accompanied on his mission by Msgr. Elias Salvador
Morales Rodriguez, rector of the major seminary and judicial vicar of the
diocese of Ponce, and Msgr. Mario Alberto Guijarro de Corzo, paster of the
parish of the "Martires de
Verona" in San Juan de Puerto Rico.
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AUDIENCES
Vatican City, 10 November 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in
audience:
- Cardinal Marc Ouellet P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
- Archbishop Richard William Smith of Edmonton, Canada, president of the
Conference of Catholic Bishops of Canada, accompanied by Archbishop Paul-Andre
Durocher of Gatineau and Msgr. Patrick Powers, respectively vice president and
secretary
general.
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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 12 November 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Msgr.
Fortunatus Nwachukwu, chief of protocol at the Secretariat of State, as
apostolic nuncio to Nicaragua. The bishop-elect was born in Ntigha, Nigeria in
1960 and ordained a priest
in 1984. He entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 1994 and has
served, among other places, in Ghana, Paraguay and Algeria.
On Saturday 10 November the Holy Father:
- Appointed Cardinal Paul Poupard, president emeritus of the Pontifical
Council for Culture, as his special envoy to the concluding celebrations of
the Jubilee Year dedicated to the Venerable Servant of God Pauline Jaricot on
the 150th anniversary of
her death, and the fiftieth anniversary of her Decree of heroic virtue, to be
held in Lyons, France, on 9 January 2013.
- Appointed Bishop Carlos Maria Franzini of Rafaela, Argentina as bishop of
Mendoza (area 63,839, population 1,226,000, Catholics 1,042,000, priests 165,
permanent deacons 54, religious 276), Argentina. He succeeds Bishop Jose Maria
Arancibia, whose
resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father
accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Msgr. Serge Poitras, under secretary for the Congregation of
Bishops, as bishop of Timmins (area 26,200, population 89,300, Catholics
48,900, priests 24, permanent deacons 7, religious 20), Canada. The
bishop-elect was born in Jonquiere,
Quebec in 1949 and ordained a priest in 1973. He obtained a doctorate in
theology from the Gregorian Pontifical University in 1988 and in 2000 became a
collaborator in the apostolic nunciature in Ottawa.
- Appointed Fr. P. Quesnel Alphonse S.M.M., of the clergy of the diocese
Port-au-Prince, Haiti, pastor of the parish of "Saint-Louis, Roi di France",
as auxiliary bishop of the same diocese (area 5,500, population 4,110,000,
Catholics 2,960,000,
priests 274, permanent deacons 1, religious 1,635). The bishop-elect was born
in Port-au-Prince in 1949 and ordained a priest in 1977. He has served in
various pastoral offices in the archdiocese of Cap-Haitien and the dioceses of
Port-de-Paix and
Port-au-Prince.
- Appointed Archbishop Tommaso Caputo, apostolic nuncio to Malta and Libya,
as prelate of Pompei, Italy, and pontifical delegate for the Shrine of the
Blessed Virgin Mary of the Holy Rosary.
- Appointed Ivano Dionigi and Fr. Roberto Spataro S.D.B., respectively, as
president and secretary of the Pontifical Academy for Latin.
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