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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - N° 221
DATE 05-12-2012
Summary:
- GOD'S BENEVOLENT PLAN FOR HUMANITY
- APPEAL FOR AN END TO VIOLENCE IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
- NATIVITY SCENE FROM BASILICATA IN ST. PETER'S SQUARE
___________________________________________________________
GOD'S BENEVOLENT PLAN FOR HUMANITY
Vatican City, 5 December 2012 (VIS) - God's "benevolent plan" for mankind,
which begins St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians, was the theme of the Holy
Father's catechesis at today's general audience. The great hymn that the
apostle Paul raised to God
"introduces us to living in the time of Advent, in the context of the Year of
Faith. The theme of this hymn of praise is God's plan for mankind, defined in
terms of joy, stupefaction and thankfulness, ... of mercy and love", said the
Pope.
The Apostle elevated this blessing to God because he "looked upon his actions
throughout the history of salvation, culminating in the incarnation, death and
resurrection of Jesus, and contemplated how the celestial Father chose us,
even before the
foundation of the world, to become His adoptive children, in his only Son,
Jesus Christ. ... God's 'benevolent plan', which the Apostle also describes as
a 'plan of love', is defined as 'the mystery' of divine will, hidden and then
disclosed in the
Person and work of Christ. The initiative precedes any human response; it is
the freely given gift of his love, which envelops and transforms us.
"What is the ultimate aim of this mysterious plan? It is to recapitulate all
things in Christ; "this means that in the great design of creation and
history, Christ is placed at the centre of the world's entire path, as the
axis upon which everything
turns, drawing all of reality to Him, in order to overcome dispersion and
limits, and to lead all to fullness in God".
However, "this benevolent plan", explained Benedict XVI, "did not remain
concealed in God's silence, in the heights of His Heaven; instead, He brought
it to our knowledge by entering into a relationship with man, to whom He
revealed His very being. He
did not simply communicate a series of truths, but instead He communicated
Himself to us, He showed Himself as one of us, to the extent of taking on
human flesh. ... This communion in Christ, through the work of the Holy
Spirit, offered by God to all
mankind in the light of His self- revelation, does not merely correspond to
our humanity, but is instead the fulfilment of its deepest aspirations, and
introduces it to a joy which is neither temporal nor limited, but eternal".
"In view of this, what is, then, the act of faith? It is man's response to
God's self-revelation, by which He shows His 'benevolent plan' for humanity.
... it is allowing oneself to be seized by God's Truth, a Truth that is Love.
... All this leads to a
... true 'conversion', a 'change of mentality', because the God Who has
revealed Himself to us in Christ and has shown us His plan captures us and
draws us to Him, becoming the meaning that sustains our life and the rock on
which it finds stability".
The Holy Father concluded by recalling that Advent "places us before the
luminous mystery of the coming of the Son of God and the great 'benevolent
plan' by which He sought to draw us to Him, to allow us to live in full
communion of joy and peace with
Him. Advent invites us, in spite of the many difficulties we encounter, to
renew our certainty of the presence of God: He came into the world, in human
flesh like ours, to fully realise his plan of love. And God asks that we too
become signs of His
action in the world. Through our faith, hope and charity, He wishes us to make
His light shine anew in our night".
___________________________________________________________
APPEAL FOR AN END TO VIOLENCE IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
Vatican City, 5 December 2012 (VIS) - Following this morning's catechesis the
Holy Father launched an appeal to the international community for an end to
the violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
"Troubling news continues to arrive regarding the grave humanitarian crisis in
the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which for months now has been
the scene of armed conflict and violence", said the Pope. "A large part of the
population lacks
even the most basic means of support and thousands have been forced to abandon
their homes to seek refuge elsewhere. I therefore renew my appeal for dialogue
and reconciliation, and invite the international community to take all action
necessary to
attend to the pressing needs of the population".
___________________________________________________________
NATIVITY SCENE FROM BASILICATA IN ST. PETER'S SQUARE
Vatican City, 5 December 2012 (VIS) - The traditional nativity scene mounted
every Christmas in St. Peter's Square will this year be offered to the Holy
Father by the Italian region of Basilicata.
The nativity scene, which includes one hundred terracotta figures, is the work
of Francesco Artese, one of the most famous exponents of the southern school
of traditional nativity sculpture. The most striking characteristic of
Artese's work is his
recreation of landscapes of the Stones of Matera and his reproduction of
scenes of rural life. Indeed, the nativity of St. Peter's Square is
reminiscent of locations in the Holy Land.
According to an informative note published today, "The Lucanian landscape has
been enriched by the work of religious people who have chosen to live there,
transforming these places into a human settlement rich in holiness, building
154 rupestrian
churches, monasteries and sanctuaries which, from the high Middle Ages until
the nineteenth century, have shaped the identity of a vast area which is now a
UNESCO World Heritage Site.
"The scenery of the nativity, therefore, while inspired by a traditional
iconographic genre, is rendered unique by elements reproducing locations and
architecture typical of the Lucanian landscape. The rupestrian churches of San
Nicola dei Greci and
Convicinio di Sant'Antonio are recognisable, and above, the bell tower of San
Pietro Barisano stands tall amid the myriad rooftops. The human environment is
that of ancient Lucanian rural civilisation ... and the statuettes, made
entirely of terracotta,
are dressed in clothing made of starched cloth and based on the typical
Lucanian peasant costumes of the past. Artese has chosen to dress the Holy
Family with costumes in the classic tradition".
"As in previous years, the installation of the nativity scene is entrusted to
the Technical Services of the Governorate of Vatican City State".
___________________________________________________________
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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VISnews121205
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE YEAR XXII - N° 221DATE 05-12-2012
Summary: - GOD'S BENEVOLENT PLAN FOR
HUMANITY - APPEAL FOR AN END
TO VIOLENCE IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO - NATIVITY SCENE FROM
BASILICATA IN ST. PETER'S SQUARE
Vatican City, 5 December 2012 (VIS) - God's "benevolent plan" for mankind,
which begins St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians, was the theme of the Holy
Father's catechesis at today's general audience. The great hymn that the
apostle Paul raised to God
"introduces us to living in the time of Advent, in the context of the Year of
Faith. The theme of this hymn of praise is God's plan for mankind, defined in
terms of joy, stupefaction and thankfulness, ... of mercy and love", said the
Pope.
The Apostle elevated this blessing to God because he "looked upon his
actions throughout the history of salvation, culminating in the incarnation,
death and resurrection of Jesus, and contemplated how the celestial Father
chose us, even before the
foundation of the world, to become His adoptive children, in his only Son,
Jesus Christ. ... God's 'benevolent plan', which the Apostle also describes as
a 'plan of love', is defined as 'the mystery' of divine will, hidden and then
disclosed in the
Person and work of Christ. The initiative precedes any human response; it is
the freely given gift of his love, which envelops and transforms us.
"What is the ultimate aim of this mysterious plan? It is to recapitulate
all things in Christ; "this means that in the great design of creation and
history, Christ is placed at the centre of the world's entire path, as the
axis upon which everything
turns, drawing all of reality to Him, in order to overcome dispersion and
limits, and to lead all to fullness in God".
However, "this benevolent plan", explained Benedict XVI, "did not remain
concealed in God's silence, in the heights of His Heaven; instead, He brought
it to our knowledge by entering into a relationship with man, to whom He
revealed His very being.
He did not simply communicate a series of truths, but instead He communicated
Himself to us, He showed Himself as one of us, to the extent of taking on
human flesh. ... This communion in Christ, through the work of the Holy
Spirit, offered by God to all
mankind in the light of His self- revelation, does not merely correspond to
our humanity, but is instead the fulfilment of its deepest aspirations, and
introduces it to a joy which is neither temporal nor limited, but eternal".
"In view of this, what is, then, the act of faith? It is man's response to
God's self-revelation, by which He shows His 'benevolent plan' for humanity.
... it is allowing oneself to be seized by God's Truth, a Truth that is Love.
... All this leads
to a ... true 'conversion', a 'change of mentality', because the God Who has
revealed Himself to us in Christ and has shown us His plan captures us and
draws us to Him, becoming the meaning that sustains our life and the rock on
which it finds
stability".
The Holy Father concluded by recalling that Advent "places us before the
luminous mystery of the coming of the Son of God and the great 'benevolent
plan' by which He sought to draw us to Him, to allow us to live in full
communion of joy and peace
with Him. Advent invites us, in spite of the many difficulties we encounter,
to renew our certainty of the presence of God: He came into the world, in
human flesh like ours, to fully realise his plan of love. And God asks that we
too become signs of His
action in the world. Through our faith, hope and charity, He wishes us to make
His light shine anew in our night".
APPEAL FOR AN END TO VIOLENCE IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
Vatican City, 5 December 2012 (VIS) - Following this morning's catechesis
the Holy Father launched an appeal to the international community for an end
to the violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
"Troubling news continues to arrive regarding the grave humanitarian crisis
in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which for months now has been
the scene of armed conflict and violence", said the Pope. "A large part of the
population lacks
even the most basic means of support and thousands have been forced to abandon
their homes to seek refuge elsewhere. I therefore renew my appeal for dialogue
and reconciliation, and invite the international community to take all action
necessary to
attend to the pressing needs of the population".
NATIVITY SCENE FROM BASILICATA IN ST. PETER'S SQUARE
Vatican City, 5 December 2012 (VIS) - The traditional nativity scene
mounted every Christmas in St. Peter's Square will this year be offered to the
Holy Father by the Italian region of Basilicata.
The nativity scene, which includes one hundred terracotta figures, is the
work of Francesco Artese, one of the most famous exponents of the southern
school of traditional nativity sculpture. The most striking characteristic of
Artese's work is his
recreation of landscapes of the Stones of Matera and his reproduction of
scenes of rural life. Indeed, the nativity of St. Peter's Square is
reminiscent of locations in the Holy Land.
According to an informative note published today, "The Lucanian landscape
has been enriched by the work of religious people who have chosen to live
there, transforming these places into a human settlement rich in holiness,
building 154 rupestrian
churches, monasteries and sanctuaries which, from the high Middle Ages until
the nineteenth century, have shaped the identity of a vast area which is now a
UNESCO World Heritage Site.
"The scenery of the nativity, therefore, while inspired by a traditional
iconographic genre, is rendered unique by elements reproducing locations and
architecture typical of the Lucanian landscape. The rupestrian churches of San
Nicola dei Greci and
Convicinio di Sant'Antonio are recognisable, and above, the bell tower of San
Pietro Barisano stands tall amid the myriad rooftops. The human environment is
that of ancient Lucanian rural civilisation ... and the statuettes, made
entirely of terracotta,
are dressed in clothing made of starched cloth and based on the typical
Lucanian peasant costumes of the past. Artese has chosen to dress the Holy
Family with costumes in the classic tradition".
"As in previous years, the installation of the nativity scene is entrusted
to the Technical Services of the Governorate of Vatican City State".
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_yVHpwFdxFvd98Wi7PTCxoA)--
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