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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR 2013 - N° 1
DATE 02-01-2013
Summary:
- BENEDICT XVI: WHERE DOES JESUS COME FROM?
- BENEDICT XVI: THE SAME SECURITY THAT A CHILD FEELS IN THE ARMS OF A LOVING
AND ALL-POWERFUL FATHER
- THE LIGHT OF GOD, A BLESSING FOR HUMANITY
- TE DEUM: THE CHRISTIAN IS A PERSON OF HOPE EVEN IN THE FACE OF THE DARKNESS
THAT EXISTS IN THE WORLD
- FAITH IS A PRECIOUS GIFT THAT WE MUST NURTURE IN OUR CHILDREN
- TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE OF TAIZE: BE BEARERS OF THE MESSAGE OF UNITY
- TELEGRAM TO CARDINAL GIOVANNI BATTISTA RE
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
___________________________________________________________
BENEDICT XVI: WHERE DOES JESUS COME FROM?
Vatican City, 2 January 2013 (VIS) - During the catechesis of the first
general audience of 2013, which was celebrated in the Paul VI Hall with over
7,000 people in attendance, the Holy Father addressed the theme of Christ's
birth, "something so
radically new that it was capable of changing the course of history", and
Jesus' origin.
The Lord's nativity, the Holy Father commented, "once again illuminates the
darkness that often surrounds our world and our hearts with its light, and
brings hope and joy. Where does this light come from? From the grotto in
Bethlehem where the shepherds
found 'Mary and Joseph and the Child lying in the manger'. Before this Holy
Family another, deeper question arises: How can this small and weak Child
bring a newness so radical into the world that it is capable of changing the
course of history? Isn't
there something mysterious in his origin that goes beyond that cavern?" ...
"In the four Gospels, the answer to the question 'where does Jesus come from?'
emerges clearly: his true origin is the Father, God. He comes entirely from
Him, but in a different way than any other prophet or messenger of God who
preceded Him. This
origin of the mystery of God, 'whom nobody knows', is already contained in the
stories of His childhood in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, which we are
reading during Christmastime. The angel Gabriel announces: 'The Spirit will
come upon you, and the
power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God'. We repeat these words every time that we
recite the Creed, the profession of faith: 'et incarnatus est de Spiritu
Sancto ex Maria Virgine',
'and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary'. At this phrase we
kneel because the veil that hid God is, so to say, opened and His unfathomable
and inaccessible mystery touches us. God becomes Emmanuel, 'God with us'. When
w
e
listen to the Masses composed by the great masters of sacred music?I'm
thinking, for example, of Mozart's Coronation Mass?we immediately notice how
they linger over this phrase in a particular way, almost wanting to try to
express with the universal
language of music that which words cannot make manifest: the great mystery of
God made flesh, of God made man". ...
"This affirmation of the Creed does not concern God's eternal being but rather
speaks to us of an action that the three divine Persons take part in and that
is realized 'ex Maria Virgine'. Without her, God's entrance into human history
would not have
been achieved and that which is central to our Profession of Faith would not
have taken place: God is God with us. Mary thus undeniably pertains to our
faith in the God who acts, who enters into history. She puts her entire being
at His disposition, she
'accepts' becoming the place of God's indwelling."
"Some times, even along the path and in the life of faith, we can sense our
poverty, our inadequacy in front of the witness to be given to the world. But
God chose precisely a humble woman, in an unknown village, in one of the
furthest provinces of the
great Roman Empire. Always, even amidst the most arduous difficulties to be
faced, we must have faith in God, renewing our faith in His presence and in
His action in our story as in that of Mary. Nothing is impossible to God! With
Him our existence
always walks upon a safe path and is open to a future of steadfast hope."...
"What happens in Mary, through the action of the Holy Spirit himself, is a new
creation. God, who has called being from nothingness with the Incarnation,
gives life to a new beginning of humanity. The Fathers of the Church
repeatedly speak of Christ as
the new Adam in order to emphasize the beginning of the new creation with the
birth of the Son of God in the womb of the Virgin Mary. This brings us to
reflect upon how faith also supposes in us a newness so strong as to produce a
second birth. In fact,
at the beginning of being Christians is the Baptism that makes us reborn as
children of God, that makes us to participate in the filial relationship that
Jesus has with the Father. And I would like to note that Baptism is received,
"we are baptised"?it
is a passive verb?because nobody is capable of converting themselves into a
child of God by themselves. It is a gift that is freely conferred... Only if
we are open to God's action, as Mary was, only if we entrust our life to the
Lord
as to a friend in who we trust completely, does everything change. Our lives
acquire new meaning and a new face: that of the children of a Father who loves
us and never abandons us". ...
"There is another element in the words of the Annunciation. The angel says to
Mary: 'the power of the Most High will overshadow you'. This is a reminder of
the holy cloud that, during the Exodus, covered the tent of meeting over the
ark of the Covenant,
which the people of Israel carried with them, indicating the presence of God.
Mary, therefore, is the new holy tent, the new ark of the Covenant. With her
'yes' to the archangel's words, God receive a dwelling place in this world.
What the universe
cannot contain dwells in the womb of a virgin".
"Let us return to the question with which we began, that of Jesus' origin,
summed up in Pilate's question: 'Where are you from?'. From our reflection it
appears clear, from the beginning of the Gospels, what Jesus' true origin is:
He is the only
begotten Son of the Father. He comes from God. We are facing the great and
disconcerting mystery that we celebrate in this time of Christmas: the Son of
God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, became man in the womb of the Virgin
Mary. This is an
announcement that resounds ever new and which carries with it hope and joy to
our hearts because each time it gives us the certainty that, even if we often
feel weak, poor, incapable of facing the difficulties and the evil of the
world, the power of God
is always acting and works wonders precisely in our weakness. His grace is our
strength".
___________________________________________________________
BENEDICT XVI: THE SAME SECURITY THAT A CHILD FEELS IN THE ARMS OF A LOVING AND
ALL-POWERFUL FATHER
Vatican City, 1 January 2013 (VIS) - On Tuesday, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother
of God, the Holy Father presided over Mass in the Vatican Basilica.
Concelebrating were cardinals Tarcisio Bertone, secretary of state, and Peter
Kodwo Appiah Turkson,
president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace; archbishops
Giovanni Angelo Becciu, substitute for General Affairs of the Secretariat of
State, Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States, and Beniamino
Stella, president of the
Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy; along with Bishop Mario Toso, S.D.B.,
secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. Yesterday also
marked the 46th World Day of Peace, the theme for which is "Blessed are the
Peacemakers".
Following are extracts from the homily given by Pope Benedict XVI:
"Although the world is sadly marked by 'hotbeds of tension and conflict caused
by growing instances of inequality between rich and poor, by the prevalence of
a selfish and individualistic mindset which also finds expression in an
unregulated financial
capitalism,' as well as by various forms of terrorism and crime, I am
convinced that 'the many different efforts at peacemaking which abound in our
world testify to mankind’s innate vocation to peace. In every person the
desire for peace is an
essential aspiration which coincides in a certain way with the desire for a
full, happy and successful human life. ... Man is made for the peace which is
God’s gift. All of this led me to draw inspiration for this Message from
the words of Jesus
Christ: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children
of God’. This beatitude 'tells us that peace is both a messianic gift
and the fruit of human effort … It is peace with God through a life
lived
according to His will. It is interior peace with oneself, and exterior peace
with our neighbours and all creation'. Indeed, peace is the supreme good to
ask as a gift from God and, at the same time, that which is to be built with
our every effort.
We may ask ourselves: what is the basis, the origin, the root of peace? How
can we experience that peace within ourselves, in spite of problems, darkness
and anxieties? The reply is given to us by the readings of today’s
liturgy. The biblical
texts, especially the one just read from the Gospel of Luke, ask us to
contemplate the interior peace of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. During the days
in which 'she gave birth to her first-born son', many unexpected things
occurred: not only the birth of
the Son but, even before, the tiring journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, not
finding room at the inn, the search for a chance place to stay for the night;
then the song of the angels and the unexpected visit of the shepherds. In all
this, however, Mary
remains even tempered, she does not get agitated, she is not overcome by
events greater than herself; in silence she considers what happens, keeping it
in her mind and heart, and pondering it calmly and serenely. This is the
interior pe
ace
which we ought to have amid the sometimes tumultuous and confusing events of
history, events whose meaning we often do not grasp and which disconcert us.
... Here, dear brothers and sisters, is the foundation of our peace: the
certainty of contemplating in Jesus Christ the splendour of the face of God
the Father, of being sons and daughters in the Son, and thus of having, on
life’s journey, the
same security that a child feels in the arms of a loving and all-powerful
Father. The splendour of the face of God, shining upon us and granting us
peace, is the manifestation of his fatherhood: the Lord turns his face to us,
he reveals himself as our
Father and grants us peace. Here is the principle of that profound peace
– 'peace with God' – which is firmly linked to faith and grace, as
Saint Paul tells the Christians of Rome. Nothing can take this peace from
believers, not even the
difficulties and sufferings of life. Indeed, sufferings, trials and darkness
do not undermine but build up our hope, a hope which does not deceive because
'God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit
which has
been
given to us'.
May the Virgin Mary, whom today we venerate with the title of Mother of God,
help us to contemplate the face of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. May she sustain
us and accompany us in this New Year: and may she obtain for us and for the
whole world the gift
of peace. Amen!"
___________________________________________________________
THE LIGHT OF GOD, A BLESSING FOR HUMANITY
Vatican City, 1 January 2013 (VIS) - At the end of this morning's Mass for the
Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, Benedict XVI appeared at the window of his
study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to pray the Angelus with faithful and
pilgrims gathered
below in St. Peter's Square. Before reciting the Marian prayer, the pontiff
addressed a few words to them:
"Happy New Year to all! On this first day of 2013 I would like to send God's
blessing to each and every man and woman in the world. I pronounce it with the
old form found in Sacred Scripture: 'the Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord
let His face shine
upon you, and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you kindly and give you
peace'.
Just as the sun's light and heat are a blessing for the earth, so is the light
of God for humanity when He makes His face to shine upon us. This is what has
happened with the birth of Jesus Christ! God has made His face to shine upon
us: at the
beginning in a very humble, hidden manner -- in Bethlehem only Mary and Joseph
and a few shepherds were witness to this revelation -- but little by little,
like the sun passing from dawn to noon, the light of Christ has grown and
extended everywhere.
Including the brief time of his earthly life, Jesus of Nazareth made God's
face to shine on the Holy Land and then, through the Church enlivened by his
Spirit, he extended to all peoples the Gospel of peace. 'Glory to God in the
highest and on earth
peace to those on whom his favour rests'. This is the angels' song on
Christmas and it is the song of Christians under the heavens, a song that
moves from our hearts and lips to concrete action, to the gestures of love
that build dialogue,
understanding, and reconciliation.
This is why the Church, eight days after Christmas, celebrates the World Day
of Peace when, just like Mary the Virgin Mother, she shows the world the
newborn child, Jesus the Prince of Peace. Yes, this child who is the Word of
God made flesh, comes to
bring us a peace that the world cannot offer. His mission is to break down
'the dividing wall of enmity' that separates us. And when, on the shore of the
Sea of Galilee, he proclaims the 'Beatitudes', among these is 'Blessed are the
peacemakers, for
they will be called children of God'. Who are those who work for peace? They
are all those who, day after day, try to vanquish evil through good, with the
strength of truth, with the arms of prayer and forgiveness, with the job done
honestly and well,
with scientific research that serves life, with works of corporal and
spiritual charity. The peacemakers are many but they make no noise. Like
leaven in dough, they make humanity grow according to God's plan.
On this first Angelus of the new year, we ask the Most Holy Virgin Mary,
Mother of God, to bless us as a mother blesses her children who are about to
leave on a journey. A new year is like a journey; with God's light and grace
may it be a path toward
peace for all persons and all families, for all countries and the entire
world."
___________________________________________________________
TE DEUM: THE CHRISTIAN IS A PERSON OF HOPE EVEN IN THE FACE OF THE DARKNESS
THAT EXISTS IN THE WORLD
Vatican City, 31 December 2012 (VIS) - Today at 5:00pm in the Vatican
Basilica, the Holy Father presided over first vespers for the Solemnity of
Mary, Mother of God. This was followed by the exposition of the Blessed
Sacrament, the singing of the
traditional "Te Deum" of thanksgiving on the conclusion of the calendar year,
and the Eucharistic blessing.
Following are extracts from the homily given by Pope Benedict XVI:
"We cannot rely solely on the news if we want to understand the world and
life. We must be able to remain in silence, in meditation, in calm and
prolonged reflection; we must know how to stop and think. In this way, our
mind can find healing from the
inevitable wounds of daily life, can go deeper into the events that occur in
our lives and in the world, and come to the knowledge that allows us to
evaluate things with new eyes. Especially in the recollection of conscience,
where God speaks to us, we
learn to look truthfully at our own actions, even at the evil within us and
around us, to begin a journey of conversion that makes us wiser and better,
more capable of creating solidarity and communion, of overcoming evil with
good. The Christian is a
person of hope, even and especially in the face of the darkness that often
exists in the world, not as a consequence of God’s plans but because of
the wrong choices of man, because the Christian knows that the power of faith
can
move
mountains, the Lord can brighten even the deepest darkness."
"The Year of Faith, which the Church is living," the pontiff continued,
"should arouse in the heart of each believer a greater awareness that the
encounter with Christ is the source of true life and a solid hope. Faith in
Jesus allows a constant renewal
of goodness and of the ability to rise from the quicksand of sin and to begin
anew. In the Word made flesh it is always possible to rediscover our true
human identity, to find ourselves destined for God's infinite love and called
to a personal communion
with Him. This truth, which Jesus Christ came to reveal, is the certainty that
compels us to confidently face the year we are about to begin."
"The Church, which has received from her Lord the mission to evangelize, knows
well that the Gospel is destined to all people, especially the younger
generations, to quench that thirst for truth that everyone carries in their
heart and that is often
obscured by all those things that occupy life. This apostolic commitment is
all the more necessary when the faith risks being obscured in cultural
contexts that hinder its personal roots and its social presence. Rome, too, is
a city where the Christian
faith must be proclaimed again and again and witnessed in a credible manner.
On the one hand, there is the growing number of believers of other religions,
the difficulties parish communities have in attracting young people, the
spread of lifestyles
marked by individualism and moral relativism; on the other, the quest, in so
many people, for a sense of their own existence and for a hope that will not
disappoint, that cannot leave us indifferent. Like the Apostle Paul, all the
faithfu
l of
this city should consider themselves under obligation of the Gospel towards
the other inhabitants!"
The Pope concluded his homily by enjoining the dioceses "to support and
accompany parents in their spiritual life ... in order to keep the flame of
faith alive". To this end it is important "to build a relationship of cordial
friendship with those of
the faithful who, after having baptised their child, distracted by the demands
of everyday life, do not show great interest in living this experience. They
will thus be able to experience the love of the Church who, as a caring
mother, stands by them to
promote their spiritual life."
After of the ceremony, Benedict XVI visited the nativity scene at the foot of
the obelisk located at the centre of St. Peter's square.
___________________________________________________________
FAITH IS A PRECIOUS GIFT THAT WE MUST NURTURE IN OUR CHILDREN
Vatican City, 30 December 2012 (VIS) - At noon today, the Feast of the Holy
Family of Nazareth, the Holy Father prayed the Angelus from the window of his
study with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square.
Mary and Joseph's concern for Jesus, Benedict XVI said, "is the same as all
parents who are raising a child, to introduce him to life and an understanding
of reality. Today, therefore, we must say a special prayer to the Lord for all
the families of the
world. In imitation of the Holy Family of Nazareth, parents must be seriously
involved in the growth and education of their children, so that they may
become responsible and honest citizens, never forgetting that faith is a
precious gift to nurture in
their children, particularly through personal example. We also pray that every
child may be welcomed as a gift from God and sustained by the love of a father
and a mother in order to grow, like the Lord Jesus, in 'wisdom and age and
favour before God
and man'. May the love, fidelity, and dedication of Mary and Joseph be an
example for all Christian spouses, who are not their children's friends nor
the owner's of their children's lives, but the guardians of this incomparable
gift
from
God."
"May the silence of Joseph, a just man, and the example of Mary, who kept all
these things in her heart, bring us to enter into the mystery of the Holy
Family full of faith and humanity. I wish for all Christian families to live
in the presence of God
with the same love and joy as the family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph."
Greeting the pilgrims in English after the Marian prayer the Holy Father also
added, "May Jesus, Mary, and Joseph bring greater love, unity, and harmony to
all Christian families, that they in their turn may be a firm example to the
communities in which
they live. May God bless you and your dear families!"
___________________________________________________________
TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE OF TAIZE: BE BEARERS OF THE MESSAGE OF UNITY
Vatican City, 29 December 2012 (VIS) - This afternoon before more than 30,000
people gathered in St. Peter's Square, Benedict XVI prayed with the
participants in the 35th European meeting of young people of the Taize
Community. Many local families
hosted those who had made the pilgrimage to Rome for this occasion. The prayer
followed the approach typical of the Taize Community. Following an address by
Br. Alois, Prior of the Taize Community, the Holy Father spoke to the young
people present in
several languages.
"You have come in large numbers from all over Europe and also from other
continents to pray at the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul", the Pope said. "The
faith that motivated these two great Apostles of Jesus is the same faith that
has inspired your
pilgrimage. During the year that is about to begin, you propose to free the
wellsprings of trust in God in order to live it in your daily lives. I am
pleased that in this way you have embraced the intentions of the Year of
Faith, which began in October".
In English, Benedict XVI recalled that "just over seventy years ago, Brother
Roger established the Taize Community. Thousands of young people from all over
the world continue to go there to seek meaning for their lives". It was
precisely to support them
"on their journey to Christ" that Brother Roger established this "pilgrimage
of trust on earth".
"A tireless witness to the Gospel of peace and reconciliation, ardently
committed to an ecumenism of holiness, Brother Roger encouraged all those who
passed through Taize to become seekers of communion. We should listen in our
hearts to his spiritually
lived ecumenism, and let ourselves be guided by his witness towards an
ecumenism which is truly interiorised and spiritualised. Following his
example, may all of you be bearers of this message of unity. I assure you of
the irrevocable commitment of the
Catholic Church to continue seeking the paths of reconciliation leading to the
visible unity of Christians. And so this evening I greet with special
affection those among you who are Orthodox or Protestants".
In French, the Pope continued: "Christ now poses to you the question He
addressed to His disciples: 'Who do you say that I am?' ... and wishes to
receive from each one of you an answer that comes not from constraint or from
fear, but from your profound
freedom. It is in responding to this question that your life finds its fullest
meaning. ... The Word of God, according to the Second Letter of Peter, is like
'a lamp shining in a dark place', that you would do well to attend to 'until
day dawns and the
morning star rises in your hearts'. You have understood this though: if the
morning star is to rise in your hearts this means that it is not always there.
At times evil and the suffering of the innocent give rise to doubt and
confusion. At these times,
our 'yes' to Christ becomes difficult. But this doubt does not make us
unbelievers! Jesus did not abandoned the man in the Gospel who exclaimed 'I
believe; Help my unbelief!'".
___________________________________________________________
TELEGRAM TO CARDINAL GIOVANNI BATTISTA RE
Vatican City, 29 December 2012 (VIS) - Yesterday Benedict XVI sent a telegram
of condolence to Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect emeritus of the
Congregation for Bishops, on the death of his father Matteo Re at the age of
104 years.
In the text, the Pope expressed his closeness to the cardinal's family and
imparted upon all the light of faith and hope in Christ.
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