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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - N° 229
DATE 17-12-2012
Summary:
- AUDIENCE WITH PRESIDENT OF THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY
- THE POPE TO OLYMPIC ATHLETES: BE MODELS OF FAITH IN SPORT
- AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE HOLY SEE AND CHINA
- JUSTICE AND CHARITY ARE NOT IN OPPOSITION
- THE JOY OF ADVENT
- TELEGRAM FOR THE "SENSELESS TRAGEDY" AT SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
- MESSAGE FOR THE 50TH WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS, "SIGN OF HOPE
FOUNDED IN FAITH"
- AUDIENCES
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
___________________________________________________________
AUDIENCE WITH PRESIDENT OF THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY
Vatican City, 17 December 2012 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican Apostolic
Palace the Holy Father Benedict XVI received in audience Mahmoud Abbas,
president of the Palestinian Authority, who subsequently went on to meet with
Cardinal Secretary of
State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B., accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti,
secretary for Relations with States.
The cordial discussions made reference to the recent Resolution approved by
the General Assembly of the United Nations by which Palestine was recognised
as a Non-member Observer State of the aforementioned Organisation. It is hoped
that this initiative
will encourage the commitment of the international community to finding a fair
and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which may be reached
only by resuming negotiations between the Parties, in good faith and according
due respect to
the rights of both.
Attention then turned to the situation in the Region, troubled by numerous
conflicts, in the hope that the courage for reconciliation and peace will be
found.
Finally, mention was made of the contribution Christian communities can offer
to the common good in the Palestinian territories and throughout the Middle
East.
___________________________________________________________
THE POPE TO OLYMPIC ATHLETES: BE MODELS OF FAITH IN SPORT
Vatican City, 17 December 2012 (VIS) - "Any sporting activity, be it at
amateur or professional level, requires loyalty in competition, respect for
one's own body, a sense of solidarity and altruism; it and then also brings
joy, satisfaction and
celebration. All this presupposes a path of true human development, requiring
sacrifice, tenacity, patience, and above all humility, which does not receive
applause but which is the secret of victory".
This morning, with these words, the Pope received the athletes who represented
Italy in the London 2012 Olympics, and who won a total of 28 medals, eight of
them gold. The athletes were accompanied by the directors of the Italian
National Olympic
Committee (CONI).
"The Church regards sport as a part of man's entire being, and recognises that
sporting activity is linked to education, the formation of the person,
relationships between people and spirituality", said the Holy Father. "The
athlete who lives his
experience fully pays attention to God's plan for his life, learns to listen
to His voice throughout the long periods of training, to recognise Him in the
face of his companions and even that of his adversaries. ... I think of you,
dear athletes, as
both champions and witnesses, with a mission to accomplish: with the
admiration you inspire, become valid models to imitate, ... masters of an
honest and transparent sporting practice".
The Pope reiterated to the athletes that the pressure to obtain impressive
results should not induce them "to take short cuts, as in the case of
'doping'. The team spirit that should encourage avoidance of these blind
alleys should also give support to
those who are aware of having made this mistake so that they might be heard
and assisted.
In relation to the Year of Faith, the Holy Father emphasised that sport could
also play a role in educating in "spiritual 'professionalism', or rather,
living each day seeking the triumph of good over evil, truth over lies and
love over hate, above all
in ourselves. Considering the commitment to new evangelisation, the world of
sport may also be considered as a modern "Courtyard of the Gentiles", that is,
a valuable forum open to all, believers and non-believers, where it is
possible to experience the
joy and difficulties of encountering people of diverse cultures, languages and
religious orientations".
Finally, the Pope recalled Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, "a young man who
embodied both passion for sport - especially mountaineering - and passion for
God", and invited the athletes to read his biography. "Blessed Pier Giorgio
shows us that being
Christians means loving life, loving nature, and above all, loving one's
neighbour, and especially those in difficulty. I hope that each one of you
will experience the greatest joy of all: that of improving and loving more day
by day".
___________________________________________________________
AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE HOLY SEE AND CHINA
Vatican City, 17 December 2012 (VIS) - Today there took place an exchange of
Notes between the Vatican and Taipei, by which the Secretary of State and the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs communicated, respectively, that the Holy See and
the Republic of
China have completed the necessary procedures to allow the entry in force of
the Agreement between the Congregation for Catholic Education of the Holy See
and the Ministry of Education of the Republic of China on Collaboration in the
field of higher
education and on the recognition of studies, qualifications, diplomas and
degrees.
The Agreement was signed in Taipei on 2 December 2011 by Cardinal Zenon
Grocholewski, prefect for the Congregation for Catholic Education, and Wu
Ching-Ji, minister for Education of the Republic of China (ROC). On 20
November it was unanimously approved
by the parliamentary assembly (Legislative Yuan) of the Republic of China.
It is an agreement "of a cultural and administrative character", stipulated
within the framework of the UNESCO Regional Convention on the recognition of
studies, diplomas and teaching grades in Asia and the Pacific, signed in Tokyo
on 26 November 2011
with the participation of the Republic of China and the Holy See, among other
States. It regulates two sectors: the academic-administrative domain of the
reciprocal recognition of studies, qualifications, diplomas and grades, and
that of collaboration
in the field of higher education, which would include the presence of the
Catholic Church in the university environment within the Chinese language zone.
By this agreement, the Republic of China concedes to the Holy See the
recognition of study titles and ecclesiastical grades issued throughout the
world, respect for canon law on the structure and management of Catholic
universities and ecclesiastical
faculties of theology in Taiwan, and the possibility of proposing Catholic
values in the academic field in faculties other than those of theology. The
latter two guarantees are included, fundamentally, in Article 2, which regards
the recognition of the
unique character of the education system, specific to ecclesiastical
universities and faculties. This recognition implies respect for canon
academic legislation, the protection of the Catholic character of academic
institutions, the exclusive competence
of the Holy See for content, academic programmes and the appointment of
directors and teaching staff, as well as the individual written commitment on
the part of teachers and administrative staff to moral conduct compatible with
Cat
holic
doctrine and morality. The rest of the Agreement is mostly concerned with the
technical and bureaucratic aspects of the recognition of studies,
qualifications, titles and grades. The relevant UNESCO Regional Conventions
are cited, often literally.
The Agreement will also bring advantages to priests, seminarians and clergy
from continental China who undertake studies at the Fu Jen Catholic University
in Taipei.
___________________________________________________________
JUSTICE AND CHARITY ARE NOT IN OPPOSITION
Vatican City, 16 December 2012 (VIS) - At midday, following his pastoral visit
to the parish of San Patrizio al Colle Prenestino, Benedict XVI appeared at
the window of his study to recite the Angelus with the faithful gathered below
in St. Peter's
Square.
Today's Gospel again presented the figure of John the Baptist; the Pope
commented on the words of the Baptist when he spoke to the people gathered by
the River Jordan to be baptised, who asked "What should we do?", while
awaiting the Messiah, a question
that proves to be "of current relevance".
"The first response is addressed to the crowds in general. The Baptist says,
'Whoever has two cloaks should give one to he who has none, and whoever has
food should do likewise'. Here we can see a criterion of justice, inspired by
charity", explained
the Pope. "Justice requires that we overcome the imbalance between those who
have more than they need and those who lack basic necessities; charity impels
us to care for one another, to reach out to others and meet their needs,
instead of seeking
excuses to defend our own interests. Justice and charity are not opposed, but
both are necessary and complement each other".
"The second answer was addressed to some 'public officials', whose role was to
collect taxes on behalf of the Romans. Tax collectors were disliked, largely
because they often took advantage of their position in order to steal. The
Baptist advises them
neither to change jobs, nor to exact more than what was required. The prophet,
in God's name, does not ask for exceptional gestures, but rather the honest
fulfilment of one's duty. A first step toward eternal life is always keeping
the commandments, in
this case the seventh: 'Thou shalt not steal.'"
The third response concerns soldiers, "another category with a certain power,
and therefore tempted to abuse it. John says to the soldiers, 'Do not oppress
and extort anything from anyone; be content with your wages'. Again,
conversion begins with
honesty and respect for others, an indication that applies to everyone,
especially those who bear greater responsibility."
After the Marian prayer, in his greetings in several languages, the Pope
recalled that the European meeting of the Taize community will take place from
28 December to 2 January and, since the demand for accommodation will exceed
availability, renewed
the appeal already made in the parishes to families in Rome to extend their
hospitality to the young people who will gather in the capital, "so that other
families, with great simplicity, can enjoy this beautiful experience of
Christian fellowship".
He went on to express his spiritual closeness to those who in Poland
participate in "Christmas Aid to Children". He said, "I hope this charitable
and ecumenical initiative, a gesture of tangible assistance offered to those
in need, will bring joy to the
hearts of many children. May the flame of the candles lit by families during
the Christmas Eve dinner be a symbol of this initiative, and may God reward
the generosity of hearts and bestow His blessing to all".
Finally, the Pope greeted the children of Rome, gathered in St Peter's Square
for the traditional blessing of the figures of Baby Jesus which will be placed
in nativity displays on Christmas Eve.
___________________________________________________________
THE JOY OF ADVENT
Vatican City, 16 December 2012 (VIS) - This morning Benedict XVI, as bishop of
Rome, visited the parish of San Patrizio al Colle Prenestino, an area
urbanised between the 1960s and 1980s, and which has a new Church since 2007.
The Pope was received by
the parish community in which he met with the children baptised this year,
accompanied by their fathers, and presided at the Holy Mass at 10 a.m.
On the third Sunday of Advent, called "Gaudete" Sunday as it invites us to be
glad, the Holy Father observed that Advent is not only a time for conversion
but also for joy, because "it is the time in which the anticipation of the
Saviour is awakened in
the hearts of believers, and awaiting the arrival of a loved one always brings
joy".
The Pope commented on the first reading in which Zephaniah uses the expression
"Sing aloud, O daughter Zion", explaining that the prophet intended to say
that "there is no longer any reason for distrust ... or sadness, whatever
situation we have to
face, because we are certain of the presence of the Lord, which alone is
enough to gladden and cheer the heart. The prophet also makes us understand
that this joy is reciprocal; we are invited to rejoice, but also the Lord
rejoices at His bond with us".
"In just a few days' time we will celebrate Christmas, the feast of the coming
of God, who came among us as a child and as our brother to be with us and to
share in our human condition. We must rejoice for His closeness and His
presence, and always to
seek to understand that He is truly near, so that the goodness of God and the
joy of Christ might enter into us. ... St. Paul expressed emphatically in one
of his letters that nothing can separate us from God's love as manifested in
Christ. Only sin can
lead us astray from Him, but this is an element that we ourselves bring to our
relationship with Him. However, even when we turn away from Him, He never
ceases to love us and to remain close to us with His mercy, His willingness to
forgive and to
welcome us anew in His love".
Therefore "we must never distress ourselves, as we can always express our
wishes,our needs and our concerns to the Lord 'with prayer and petition'. This
is a great cause for joy: to know that it is always possible to pray to the
Lord and that the Lord
hears us, that God is not distant from us, but truly listens to us, that He
knows us and never turns away from our prayers, and even if He does not always
respond as we might wish, he nevertheless responds."
However, "the joy that the Lord communicates to us must find grateful love in
us. Indeed, we achieve full joy when we recognise His mercy, when we become
aware of the signs of His goodness. ... He who receives the gifts of God in a
spirit of selfishness
does not know true joy; rather, it is he who finds in God's gifts the
opportunity to love Him with sincere gratitude and to communicate His love to
others whose heart is filled with joy", concluded the Pope.
Following the Eucharistic celebration, the Pope greeted the sick and elderly
of the parish and returned to the Vatican to pray the Angelus.
___________________________________________________________
TELEGRAM FOR THE "SENSELESS TRAGEDY" AT SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Vatican City, 15 December 2012 (VIS) - A telegram of condolence was sent in
the Holy Father's name by Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B.
to Msgr. Jerald A. Doyle, diocesan administrator of Bridgeport, United States
of America, following
the assassination of 26 people - twenty children and six adults - by a lone
gunman at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut.
Benedict XVI expressed his heartfelt grief and assured his closeness in prayer
to the victims, their families and all those affected by this shocking event.
"In the aftermath of this senseless tragedy he asks God our Father to console
all those who
mourn and to sustain the entire community with the spiritual strength which
triumphs over violence by the power of forgiveness, hope and reconciling love".
___________________________________________________________
MESSAGE FOR THE 50TH WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS, "SIGN OF HOPE FOUNDED
IN FAITH"
Vatican City, 15 December 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father's Message for the 50th
World Day of Prayer for Vocations, to be celebrated on 21 April 2013, fourth
Sunday of Easter, was published today, in which Benedict XVI reflects on the
theme of "Vocations
as a sign of hope founded in faith". Given below are extensive extracts from
the message.
"Dear Brothers and Sisters, what exactly is God’s faithfulness, to which
we adhere with unwavering hope? It is his love! He, the Father, pours His love
into our innermost self through the Holy Spirit. And this love, fully
manifested in Jesus
Christ, engages with our existence and demands a response in terms of what
each individual wants to do with his or her life, and what he or she is
prepared to offer in order to live it to the full.
"The love of God sometimes follows paths one could never have imagined, but it
always reaches those who are willing to be found. Hope is nourished, then, by
this certainty: 'We ourselves have known and believed in the love that God has
for us'. This
deep, demanding love, which penetrates well below the surface, gives us
courage; it gives us hope in our life’s journey and in our future; it
makes us trust in ourselves, in history and in other people.
"I want to speak particularly to the young and I say to you once again: 'What
would your life be without this love? God takes care of men and women from
creation to the end of time, when He will bring His plan of salvation to
completion. In the Risen
Lord we have the certainty of our hope!' (Address to Young People of the
Diocese of San Marino-Montefeltro, 19 June 2011).
"Just as He did during His earthly existence, so today the risen Jesus walks
along the streets of our life and sees us immersed in our activities, with all
our desires and our needs. In the midst of our everyday circumstances He
continues to speak to
us; He calls us to live our life with Him, for only He is capable of
satisfying our thirst for hope. He lives now among the community of disciples
that is the Church, and still today calls people to follow Him. The call can
come at any moment.
"Today too, Jesus continues to say, 'Come, follow me'. Accepting His
invitation means no longer choosing our own path. Following Him means
immersing our own will in the will of Jesus, truly giving Him priority, giving
Him pride of place in every area of
our lives: in the family, at work, in our personal interests, in ourselves. It
means handing over our very lives to Him, living in profound intimacy with
Him, entering through Him into communion with the Father in the Holy Spirit,
and consequently with
our brothers and sisters. This communion of life with Jesus is the privileged
'setting' in which we can experience hope and in which life will be full and
free.
"Vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated life are born out of the
experience of a personal encounter with Christ, out of sincere and confident
dialogue with Him, so as to enter into His will. It is necessary, therefore,
to grow in the experience
of faith, understood as a profound relationship with Jesus, as inner
attentiveness to His voice which is heard deep within us. This process, which
enables us to respond positively to God’s call, is possible in Christian
communities where the faith
is lived intensely, where generous witness is given of adherence to the
Gospel, where there is a strong sense of mission which leads people to make
the total gift of self for the Kingdom of God, nourished by recourse to the
Sacraments, especially the
Eucharist, and by a fervent life of prayer. This latter 'must on the one hand
be something very personal, an encounter between my intimate self and God, the
living God. On the other hand it must be constantly guided and enlightened
by
the great prayers of the Church and of the saints, by liturgical prayer, in
which the Lord teaches us again and again how to pray properly.'
"Deep and constant prayer brings about growth in the faith of the Christian
community, in the unceasingly renewed certainty that God never abandons His
people and that He sustains them by raising up particular vocations – to
the priesthood and the
consecrated life – so that they can be signs of hope for the world.
Indeed, priests and religious are called to give themselves unconditionally to
the People of God, in a service of love for the Gospel and the Church, serving
that firm hope which
can only come from an openness to the divine.
"By means of the witness of their faith and apostolic zeal, therefore, they
can transmit, especially to the younger generations, a strong desire to
respond generously and promptly to Christ Who calls them to follow Him more
closely. Whenever a disciple
of Jesus accepts the divine call to dedicate himself to the priestly ministry
or to the consecrated life, we witness one of the most mature fruits of the
Christian community, which helps us to look with particular trust and hope to
the future of the
Church and to her commitment to evangelisation. This constantly requires new
workers to preach the Gospel, to celebrate the Eucharist and the Sacrament of
Reconciliation.
"So let there be committed priests, who know how to accompany young people as
'companions on the journey', helping them, on life’s often tortuous and
difficult path, to recognize Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life, telling
them, with Gospel
courage, how beautiful it is to serve God, the Christian community,
one’s brothers and sisters. Let there be priests who manifest the
fruitfulness of an enthusiastic commitment, which gives a sense of
completeness to their lives, because it is
founded on faith in Him, who loved us first.
"Equally, I hope that young people, who are presented with so many superficial
and ephemeral options, will be able to cultivate a desire for what is truly
worthy, for lofty objectives, radical choices, service to others in imitation
of Jesus. Dear young
people, do not be afraid to follow Him and to walk the demanding and
courageous paths of charity and generous commitment! In that way you will be
happy to serve, you will be witnesses of a joy that the world cannot give, you
will be living flames of an
infinite and eternal love, you will learn to 'give an account of the hope that
is within you'!"
___________________________________________________________
AUDIENCES
Vatican City, 17 December 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in
audience Cardinal Julian Herranz, Cardinal Jozef Tomko, and Cardinal Salvatore
De Giorgi.
___________________________________________________________
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
On Saturday, 15 December, the Holy Father appointed:
- Msgr. Nicolas Henry Marie Denis Thevenin, nunciature counsellor, as
apostolic nuncio, at the same time elevating him to the dignity of archbishop.
The archbishop-elect was born in Saint-Dizier, France, in 1958 and ordained a
priest in 1989. He entered
the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 1994, and has served as a papal
representative in India, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Belgium,
Lebanon, Cuba, Bulgaria and in the Section for Relations with States of the
Secretariat of State. He was
appointed to the College of Apostolic Protonotaries "de numero participantium"
in 2009.
- Archbishop Angelo Vincenzo Zani, secretary of the Congregation for Catholic
Education, and Fr. Achim Buckenmaier, professor of dogmatic theology and
director of the Academy for the Theology of the People of God at the
Pontifical Lateran University, as
consultors for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
___________________________________________________________
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