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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - N° 218
DATE 30-11-2012
Summary:
- THE POPE TO FRENCH BISHOPS: RELIGIOUS IGNORANCE IS ONE OF THE GREATEST
PROBLEMS OF OUR TIMES
- CATHOLICS AND ORTHODOX MUST NOT LOSE THEIR RICH HARVEST THROUGH WEAKNESS
AND DIVISION
- HOLY SEE'S SATISFACTION AT THE UN RESOLUTION ON PALESTINE
- MEETING OF THE SECRETARIAT GENERAL OF THE SYNOD OF BISHOPS
- BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR DECEMBER
- AUDIENCES
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
___________________________________________________________
THE POPE TO FRENCH BISHOPS: RELIGIOUS IGNORANCE IS ONE OF THE GREATEST
PROBLEMS OF OUR TIMES
Vatican City, 30 November 2012 (VIS) - "The Church in France has a long
heritage of saints, doctors, martyrs and confessors of the faith. You are the
heirs to a history of great human experience and immense spiritual richness.
… These origins and
this glorious past, always present in our thought and dear to our spirit,
nurture great hope in solid and bold faith, allowing us to rise to the
challenges of the third millennium and to listen to the hopes of contemporary
humanity, to which only God
can give a satisfactory answer".
With these words, Benedict XVI received the third group of bishops from the
Episcopal Conference of France at the end of their "ad limina" visit. The Pope
observed that "the Good News we must announce to mankind in all times and in
all languages and
cultures, may be summarised in these words: God, creator of mankind, in His
son Jesus, has shown us His love for humanity. 'God is love' and pursues the
happiness of His creation, of all His children. The pastoral constitution
'Gaudium et spes' asks key
questions on human existence, the meaning of life and death, evil, disease and
suffering, all present in our world. It recalls that, in His paternal
goodness, God brings answers to all these questions and that Christ founded
His Church in order to bring
those answers to all mankind. This is the reason why one of the gravest
problems of our time is the ignorance of religion on the part of many men and
women, also among the Catholic faithful".
"This is why the new evangelisation, in which the Church is resolutely
engaged, … assumes such importance", the Pope continued. "One of the
most formidable obstacles to our pastoral mission is ignorance of the content
of faith. Indeed, this is a
dual form of ignorance: the ignorance of Jesus Christ as a person and
ignorance of the sublime nature of His teachings, of their universal and
permanent value in the search for the meaning of life and happiness. In the
new generations this ignorance
produces an inability to understand history or to recognise themselves as
heirs to this tradition, which has shaped European life, society, art and
culture".
"The new evangelisation will be effective if it engages deeply with
communities and parishes. The signs of vitality and involvement of the laity
in French society are already encouraging. … The laity are the face of
the world within the Church,
and at the same time the face the Church presents to the world". Benedict XVI
emphasised, however, that the Church in Europe and in France can no longer
remain indifferent to the diminution of vocations and priestly ordinations.
... All available energy
must be urgently mobilised so as to bring the voice of the Lord to the young.
God calls when and to whom He wishes. Without doubt, Christian families and
communities offer particularly fertile ground".
"The young are the hope and future of the Church and the world", continued the
Holy Father, emphasising "the importance of Catholic education". "Catholic
institutes clearly play a primary role in the great dialogue between faith and
culture. The love of
truth that shines in them is in itself a great evangeliser. Places of learning
and dialogue, as well as centres of research, must be further developed and
more ambitious in scope". The Pope praised the initiatives of some French
dioceses to encourage
greater knowledge of theology among young people who study other disciplines.
"Theology is a source of wisdom, joy and wonder that should not be reserved
only to seminarians, priests and consecrated persons", he added.
Benedict XVI concluded by mentioning Catholic schools, which "have shaped the
Christian and cultural life" of France, and which bear 'historical
responsibility'. "A way must be found to place faith at the centre of their
educational mission …
Education in Christian values provides the key to the culture of your nation.
By opening young people to hope and true freedom, such education will continue
to be a source of dynamism and creativity. The ardour of the new
evangelisation will be our
greatest contribution to the flowering of human society and the best answer to
the varied challenges we face at the beginning of the third millennium".
___________________________________________________________
CATHOLICS AND ORTHODOX MUST NOT LOSE THEIR RICH HARVEST THROUGH WEAKNESS AND
DIVISION
Vatican City, 30 November 2012 (VIS) - Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, is leading a delegation sent
by the Holy See to Istanbul to participate in celebrations marking the Feast
of St. Andrew, patron
of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The Holy See and the
Patriarchate exchange regular annual visits for the feast days of their
respective patrons.
The Holy See delegation to this year's celebration is made up of Cardinal
Koch; Bishop Brian Farrell, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting
Christian Unity; Fr. Andrea Palmieri, an official of the same dicastery, and
Archbishop Antonio
Lucibello, apostolic nuncio to Turkey. The group attended a divine liturgy
celebrated by Bartholomew I in the patriarchal church of Fanar, then met with
the Patriarch and the synodal commission which oversees relations with the
Catholic Church.
Cardinal Koch gave Bartholomew I a gift and a message from the Holy Father
which was read out at the end of the divine liturgy. He then met with
representatives of the local Catholic community and the ecumenical council of
the apostolic vicariate of the
Catholic Church in Istanbul.
In his message, the Pope explains that this annual exchange of delegations "is
testimony to the fraternal bonds which join us together. It is a profound and
genuine communion, if still imperfect, which is based not on human motives of
courtesy or
convenience but rather on our common faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. …
This solid foundation allows us to proceed together confidently on the path to
the re-establishment of full communion".
"In our times, the most urgent challenge, about which we have always been in
perfect agreement, … is how we must connect the proclamation of God's
merciful love for contemporary man, so often distracted and incapable of
reflection on the meaning
of his own existence, and as such often misled by plans and utopias that can
lead only to disillusionment. The Church has only one message, 'God's Gospel',
and no method other than its apostolic proclamation, supported and guaranteed
by the testimony
and sanctity of the life of priests and the people of God. The Lord Jesus told
us that 'the harvest is rich', and we must not accept that it may be lost as a
result of our weaknesses and divisions", concluded the Holy Father.
___________________________________________________________
HOLY SEE'S SATISFACTION AT THE UN RESOLUTION ON PALESTINE
Vatican City, 30 November 2012 (VIS) - Given below is the Holy See's
declaration on the majority approval by the General Assembly of the United
Nations to the Resolution by which Palestine has become a Non-member Observer
State of the UN Organisation.
"The Holy See has followed actively the steps which have led to this important
decision, while striving to remain neutral between the Parties, and to act in
accordance with its particular religious nature and universal mission, and in
consideration also
of its specific attention to the ethical dimension of international problems.
"The Holy See considers, moreover, that today’s vote should be placed
within the context of the efforts of giving a definitive solution, with the
support of the international community, to the question already dealt with by
Resolution 181 of the
General Assembly of the United Nations of 29 November 1947. That document is
the juridical basis for the existence of two States, one of which has not been
constituted in the successive sixty-five years, while the other has already
seen the light.
"On 15 May 2009, while departing from 'Ben Gurion' International Airport, Tel
Aviv, at the conclusion of his pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Pope Benedict XVI
expressed the following: No more bloodshed! No more fighting! No more
terrorism! No more war!
Instead let us break the vicious circle of violence. Let there be lasting
peace based on justice, let there be genuine reconciliation and healing. Let
it be universally recognized that the State of Israel has the right to exist,
and to enjoy peace and
security within internationally agreed borders. Let it be likewise
acknowledged that the Palestinian people have a right to a sovereign
independent homeland, to live with dignity and to travel freely. Let the
two-state solution become a reality, not
remain a dream.
"In the wake of that appeal, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with
States, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, speaking before the General Assembly of
the United Nations in 2011, expressed the hope that the competent Bodies of
the United Nations
would adopt a decision which would help give concrete implementation to that
goal.
"Today’s vote manifests the sentiment of the majority of the
international community and recognises a more significant presence to
Palestinians within the United Nations. At the same time, it is the conviction
of the Holy See that this result does
not constitute, per se, a sufficient solution to the existing problems in the
Region: which, in fact, can only find an adequate response through the
effective commitment to building peace and stability, in justice and in the
respect for legitimate
aspirations, both of the Israelis and of the Palestinians.
"Therefore, the Holy See, at various times, has invited the leaders of the two
Peoples to restart the negotiations in good faith and to avoid actions, or the
placing of conditions, which would contradict the declarations of goodwill and
the sincere
search for solutions which could become secure foundations for a lasting
peace. Moreover, the Holy See has made a pressing appeal to the International
Community to increase its commitment and to encourage its creativity, through
the adoption of suitable
initiatives which may help to achieve a lasting peace, that respects the
rights of Israelis and of Palestinians. Peace needs courageous decisions!
"Considering the outcome of today’s vote of the General Assembly of the
United Nations, and to encourage the International Community, and in
particular the Parties directly concerned, towards concrete action in view of
the aforementioned
objectives – the Holy See welcomes with favour the decision of the
General Assembly by which Palestine has become a non-member Observer State of
the United Nations. It is a propitious occasion to recall also the common
position that the Holy See
and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation expressed in the Basic Agreement
of 15 February 2000, intended to support the recognition of a internationally
guaranteed special statute for the City of Jerusalem, and aimed, in
particular, to safeguarding
the freedom of religion and of conscience, the identity and sacred character
of Jerusalem as a Holy City, respect for and freedom of access to its Holy
Places".
___________________________________________________________
MEETING OF THE SECRETARIAT GENERAL OF THE SYNOD OF BISHOPS
Vatican City, (VIS) - The twenty-third Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod
of Bishops on the theme of "The New Evangelisation for the Transmission of the
Christian Faith" was held from 7 to 28 October. Continuing the theme of the
Synod, the topic of
new evangelisation for the transmission of Christian faith inspired the work
of the second meeting of the twenty-third Ordinary Council of the Secretariat
General of the Synod of Bishops, which took place on 26 November 2012.
At the beginning of the session, the general secretary of the Synod of
Bishops, Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, spoke about Jesus' missionary mandate:
"Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Gospel to all creation". This, he
said, was "the origin of the
proclamation of the Gospel, and retains its validity for the evangelising work
of the Church in all times".
"Following the day's agenda, the general secretary gave a full and detailed
analysis of the themes which emerged from the Propositions of the recent
twenty-third Synodal Assembly. This analysis was followed by a discussion
which gave rise to suggestions
to present to the Pope in view of the Post-Synodal Exhortation".
"The missionary mandate which the Lord entrusted to the Apostles is now that
of the Church in the new evangelisation, which she addresses to the entire
human race, involved in a constant process of transformation which takes place
in a context of
globalisation and a cultural and moral climate of secularisation and
agnosticism. This situation presents both a challenge and an opportunity for
the proclamation of the Gospel.
"The Church carries out this work of proclaiming anew the Gospel through
priests and lay faithful. And the Gospel she proclaims involves all humankind
and is destined for every person: the baptised, believers who have drifted
away from the faith of the
Church, non-believers, the indifferent, believers of other Christian
confessions, and believers of other religions, in accordance with the mandate
of the Risen Lord".
The next meeting will take place on 23 and 24 January 2013.
___________________________________________________________
BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR DECEMBER
Vatican City, 30 November 2012 (VIS) - Pope Benedict's general prayer
intention for December is: "That migrants throughout the world may be welcomed
with generosity and authentic love, especially by Christian communities".
His mission intention is: "That Christ may reveal Himself to all humanity with
the light that shines forth from Bethlehem and is reflected in the face of His
Church".
___________________________________________________________
AUDIENCES
Vatican City, 30 November 2012 (VIS) - This evening the Holy Father is
scheduled to receive in audience Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Muller, prefect of
the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
___________________________________________________________
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 30 November 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Bishop Anil Joseph Thomas Couto of Jullundur, India, as archbishop
of Delhi (area 15,420, population 19,633,000, Catholics 110,300, priests 262,
religious 1,154), India. He succeeds Archbishop Vincent Michael Concessao,
whose resignation
from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon
having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Bishop Binay Kandulna, auxiliary of Ranchi and apostolic
administrator of the diocese of Khunti, as bishop of Khunti (area 3,765,
population 911,000, Catholics 90,672, priests 75, religious 196).
- Appointed Fr. Angel Francisco Caraballo Fermin of the clergy of the diocese
of Ciudad Guayana, Venezuela, pastor of the Parish of "Santisimos Pedro y
Pablo" at Puerto Ordaz, as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Maracaibo (area
11,365, population
2,259,000, Catholics 2,096,000, priests 135, permanent deacons 16, religious
303), Venezuela. The bishop-elect was born in Puerto Ordaz in 1965 and
ordained a priest in 1991. He studied in Spain and in Rome and, among other
things, has served as
professor of Canon Law at the major seminary of "El Buen Pastor" in Ciudad
Bolivar, and as vicar general and judicial vicar of his diocese.
___________________________________________________________
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VISnews121130
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE YEAR XXII - N° 218DATE 30-11-2012
Summary: - THE POPE TO FRENCH BISHOPS:
RELIGIOUS IGNORANCE IS ONE OF THE
GREATEST PROBLEMS OF OUR TIMES - CATHOLICS AND ORTHODOX MUST NOT LOSE
THEIR RICH HARVEST THROUGH WEAKNESS AND DIVISION - HOLY SEE'S
SATISFACTION AT THE UN RESOLUTION ON PALESTINE - MEETING OF THE
SECRETARIAT GENERAL OF THE SYNOD OF
BISHOPS - BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR DECEMBER -
AUDIENCES - OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
THE POPE TO FRENCH BISHOPS: RELIGIOUS IGNORANCE IS ONE OF THE GREATEST
PROBLEMS OF OUR TIMES
Vatican City, 30 November 2012 (VIS) - "The Church in France has a long
heritage of saints, doctors, martyrs and confessors of the faith. You are the
heirs to a history of great human experience and immense spiritual richness.
… These origins
and this glorious past, always present in our thought and dear to our spirit,
nurture great hope in solid and bold faith, allowing us to rise to the
challenges of the third millennium and to listen to the hopes of contemporary
humanity, to which only
God can give a satisfactory answer".
With these words, Benedict XVI received the third group of bishops from the
Episcopal Conference of France at the end of their "ad limina" visit. The Pope
observed that "the Good News we must announce to mankind in all times and in
all languages and
cultures, may be summarised in these words: God, creator of mankind, in His
son Jesus, has shown us His love for humanity. 'God is love' and pursues the
happiness of His creation, of all His children. The pastoral constitution
'Gaudium et spes' asks key
questions on human existence, the meaning of life and death, evil, disease and
suffering, all present in our world. It recalls that, in His paternal
goodness, God brings answers to all these questions and that Christ founded
His Church in order to bring
those answers to all mankind. This is the reason why one of the gravest
problems of our time is the ignorance of religion on the part of many men and
women, also among the Catholic
faithful".
"This is why the new evangelisation, in which the Church is resolutely
engaged, … assumes such importance", the Pope continued. "One of the
most formidable obstacles to our pastoral mission is ignorance of the content
of faith. Indeed, this is
a dual form of ignorance: the ignorance of Jesus Christ as a person and
ignorance of the sublime nature of His teachings, of their universal and
permanent value in the search for the meaning of life and happiness. In the
new generations this ignorance
produces an inability to understand history or to recognise themselves as
heirs to this tradition, which has shaped European life, society, art and
culture".
"The new evangelisation will be effective if it engages deeply with
communities and parishes. The signs of vitality and involvement of the laity
in French society are already encouraging. … The laity are the face of
the world within the
Church, and at the same time the face the Church presents to the world".
Benedict XVI emphasised, however, that the Church in Europe and in France can
no longer remain indifferent to the diminution of vocations and priestly
ordinations. ... All
available energy must be urgently mobilised so as to bring the voice of the
Lord to the young. God calls when and to whom He wishes. Without doubt,
Christian families and communities offer particularly fertile ground".
"The young are the hope and future of the Church and the world", continued
the Holy Father, emphasising "the importance of Catholic education". "Catholic
institutes clearly play a primary role in the great dialogue between faith and
culture. The love
of truth that shines in them is in itself a great evangeliser. Places of
learning and dialogue, as well as centres of research, must be further
developed and more ambitious in scope". The Pope praised the initiatives of
some French dioceses to encourage
greater knowledge of theology among young people who study other disciplines.
"Theology is a source of wisdom, joy and wonder that should not be reserved
only to seminarians, priests and consecrated persons", he added.
Benedict XVI concluded by mentioning Catholic schools, which "have shaped
the Christian and cultural life" of France, and which bear 'historical
responsibility'. "A way must be found to place faith at the centre of their
educational mission …
Education in Christian values provides the key to the culture of your nation.
By opening young people to hope and true freedom, such education will continue
to be a source of dynamism and creativity. The ardour of the new
evangelisation will be our
greatest contribution to the flowering of human society and the best answer to
the varied challenges we face at the beginning of the third millennium".
CATHOLICS AND ORTHODOX MUST NOT LOSE THEIR RICH HARVEST THROUGH WEAKNESS
AND DIVISION
Vatican City, 30 November 2012 (VIS) - Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, is leading a delegation sent
by the Holy See to Istanbul to participate in celebrations marking the Feast
of St. Andrew,
patron of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The Holy See and the
Patriarchate exchange regular annual visits for the feast days of their
respective patrons.
The Holy See delegation to this year's celebration is made up of Cardinal
Koch; Bishop Brian Farrell, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting
Christian Unity; Fr. Andrea Palmieri, an official of the same dicastery, and
Archbishop Antonio
Lucibello, apostolic nuncio to Turkey. The group attended a divine liturgy
celebrated by Bartholomew I in the patriarchal church of Fanar, then met with
the Patriarch and the synodal commission which oversees relations with the
Catholic Church.
Cardinal Koch gave Bartholomew I a gift and a message from the Holy Father
which was read out at the end of the divine liturgy. He then met with
representatives of the local Catholic community and the ecumenical council of
the apostolic vicariate of
the Catholic Church in Istanbul.
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