"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
Subject: VISnews130102
From: Vatican Information Service - Eng - txt
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.
"Having learned of the death of your beloved father Matteo, I wish to
express my most heartfelt condolences for the deep mourning that has befallen
you and your family and assure you of my spiritual closeness in this hour of
your sorrow, together
with giving thanks to God for all the benefits bestowed upon your late father
over his more than one hundred year earthly journey. While I offer fervent
prayers to the Lord beseeching that he be welcomed into the eternal joy, I
invoke the light of faith
and hope in Christ for your family, and impart to you all a special apostolic
blessing of comfort".
___________________________________________________________
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 2 January 2013 (VIS) - On Saturday, 29 December, the Holy
Father:
- appointed Fr. William Goh, rector of the Major Seminary of Singapore, as
coadjutor archbishop of Singapore (area 699, population 5,000,000, Catholics
190,000, priests 131, religious 152). The archbishop-elect was born in
Singapore in 1957 and
ordained a priest in 1985. He studied theology at the Gregorian University in
Rome and has fulfilled pastoral roles in Singapore. He served as professor at
the major seminary of Singapore from 1992 to 2005, and as rector from 2005.
- erected the new diocese of Gboko (area 10,692, population 1,690,000,
Catholics 896,860, priests 80, religious 29), Nigeria, with territory taken
from the diocese of Makurdi, making it a suffragan of the archdiocese of
Abuja. He appointed Bishop
William Avenya, auxiliary of Makurdi, Nigeria, as first bishop of the new
diocese.
- erected the new diocese of Katsina-Ala (area 6,465, population 676,000,
Catholics 338,497, priests 32, religious 8), Nigeria, with territory taken
from the diocese of Makurdi, making it a suffragan of the archdiocese of
Abuja. He appointed Fr.
Peter Iornzuul Adoboh of the clergy of Makurdi as first bishop of the new
diocese. The bishop-elect was born in Tse-Kucha, Nigeria in 1958 and was
ordained a priest in 1984. He has undertaken studies in spirituality at the
Institute of St. Anselm,
England and the Toronto School of Theology, Canada, and has fulfilled pastoral
roles in Vandeikya, Zaki-Biam, Aliade, Abuja and Adikpo.
On Monday, 31 December, the Holy Father:
- accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Ciudad
Quesada, Costa Rica, presented by Bishop Oswaldo Brenes Alvarez, in accordance
with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.
- appointed Msgr. Egidio Turnaturi and the Honorable Dr. Riccardo Turrini
Vita as judges of the Vatican City State Court of Appeals.
___________________________________________________________
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