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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXIII - N° 9
DATE 14-01-2013
Summary:
- BENEDICT XVI PRAISES WORK OF VATICAN'S PUBLIC SAFETY INSPECTORATE
- IN BAPTISM JESUS IS IN SOLIDARITY WITH US
- BEING A CHRISTIAN MEANS CHOOSING PATH OF RESPONSIBILITY
- IMMIGRANTS ARE BEARERS OF FAITH AND HOPE
- POPE RECEIVES PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF MONACO
- CARDINAL BERTONE: DIVINE WISDOM FOR THE DELICATE AND SERIOUS TASK OF
ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE
- POPE RECEIVES CORPS OF VATICAN GENDARMERIE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT
- AUDIENCES
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
___________________________________________________________
BENEDICT XVI PRAISES WORK OF VATICAN'S PUBLIC SAFETY INSPECTORATE
Vatican City, 14 January 2013 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father received
members of the General Inspectorate of Public Safety in the Vatican as is
customary at the beginning of the new year, to exchange greetings for the new
year. In his address he
emphasized the dedication and professionalism with which they undertake their
tasks, especially during events with faithful and pilgrims who "arrive from
all over the world to meet the successor of Peter and to visit the tomb of the
Prince of the
Apostles, as well as to pray at the tombs of my venerated predecessors,
particularly Blessed John Paul II.
The Pope recalled that the duty of the members of the Inspectorate also
extends to his pastoral visits and apostolic trips to Italy and he thanked
them for "the manner and spirit that animate your vigilant and qualified
service. It is a manner that, at
the same time that it honours your identity as functionaries of the Italian
State and members of the Church, also attests to the good relations between
Italy and the Holy See." He also expressed the desire that this task, not
exempt from sacrifice and
danger, be always inspired by "a steadfast Christian faith that is,
undoubtedly, the most precious treasure and spiritual valour that your
families have entrusted you with and which you are called to impart to your
children. The Year of Faith that the
entire Church is now living is also, for you, an opportunity to return to the
Gospel message in order to let it enter more deeply into your consciences and
your daily life, courageously witnessing to the love of God in every area, ev
en
that of your jobs."
"May your presence be," he concluded, "an ever more valid guarantee of that
good order and tranquillity that are fundamental to building a peaceful and
calm social life and that, besides being taught by the Gospel message, are a
sign of true
civilization."
___________________________________________________________
IN BAPTISM JESUS IS IN SOLIDARITY WITH US
Vatican City, 13 January 2013 (VIS) – This morning in the Sistine Chapel
the Holy Father baptised 20 children born in the past few months and children
of employees of the Vatican City State.
In his homily the Pope recalled that, once an adult, Jesus began his public
ministry by going to the River Jordan to receive a baptism of penitence and
conversion from John. "Was Jesus in need of penitence and conversion?" the
pontiff asked. "Certainly
not. And yet … he wanted to place himself alongside the sinners
… expressing God's nearness. … He demonstrates solidarity with
us, with the weariness we feel in trying to convert, trying to leave aside our
selfishness, trying to
tear ourselves away from our sins, in order to tell us that, if we accept Him
in our lives, He is capable of lifting us back up and leading us to the height
of God the Father. … Jesus truly immersed himself in our human
condition … and is
capable of understanding our weakness and fragility. This is why He is moved
to compassion. He chooses to suffer with human beings, to be penitent along
with us. This is God's plan that Jesus wants to accomplish: the divine mission
of
healing the wounded and tending the sick, of taking upon himself the sin of
the world."
Afterwards he explained that, at the moment that Jesus lets himself be
baptised by John, "the heavens open and the Holy Spirit is visibly manifest in
the form of a dove while a voice from above expresses the Father's pleasure,
recognizing His Son, the
Only Begotten, the Beloved. … Thus the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled
… the Lord God comes with power to destroy the works of sin and his arm
exercises dominion to disarm the Evil One. However, we realize that this arm
is the arm extended
on the cross and that the power of Christ is the power of He who suffers for
us. This is the power of God, which is different from the world's power. This
is how God comes, with the power to destroy sin."
Through Baptism, the children baptised today "will be united profoundly and
for all time with Jesus, immersed in the mystery of His power … in the
mystery of his death, which is the source of life, in order to participate in
His resurrection, to
be reborn to new life … The heavens have also opened over your children
and God says: these are my children with whom I am well pleased. Included in
this relationship and freed from original sin they become living members of
the one body that is
the Church and become capable of fully living their call to holiness so that
they might inherit the eternal life obtained for us through Jesus'
resurrection."
Addressing the parents who had asked for Baptism for their children, the Holy
Father highlighted that they show their "faith, the joy of being Christians
and of belonging to the Church. It is a joy that springs from the awareness of
having received a
great gift from God: faith, a gift that none of us could have merited but
which has been freely given to us and to which we have responded with our
'yes'. ... The path of faith that begins today for these children is based,
therefore, on a certainty, on
the experience that there is nothing greater than knowing Christ and
communicating friendship with Him to others. Only in this friendship are the
great potentialities of the human condition truly revealed and what is
beautiful and liberating can be
experienced."
He reminded the godparents that to them falls "the important duty of
sustaining and helping the parents in their task of educating. … May
you always know how to set a good example for them through exercising the
Christian virtues. It is not easy
to openly and uncompromisingly express that which you believe in, especially
in the climate we are living in, faced with a society that often considers
those who live their faith in Jesus as old-fashioned and out of date. In the
wake of this mentality,
even Christians run the risk of seeing their relationship with Jesus as
limiting, as something that inhibits self-realization. … But that is
not so! It is precisely through proceeding along the path of faith that we
come to understand how Jesus
exercises the liberating activity of God's love in us, which allows us to
overcome our selfishness …. in order to lead us to a full life in
communion with God and openness to others. 'God is love, and whoever remains
in love
remains in God and God in him.' These words from the First Letter of John
express with remarkable clarity the heart of the Christian faith: the
Christian image of God as well as the resulting image of mankind and its path."
"The water with which these children will be baptised in the name of the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, will immerse them in the 'source' of
life that is God himself and will make them into His children. The seed of the
theological virtues,
inspired by God?faith, hope, and love?the seed that is today planted in their
hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit, must always be nourished with the Word
of God and the Sacraments, so that these Christian virtues might grow and
arrive at their full
maturity, until they make of each one of these a true witness of the Lord," he
concluded.
___________________________________________________________
BEING A CHRISTIAN MEANS CHOOSING PATH OF RESPONSIBILITY
Vatican City, 13 January 2013 (VIS) – At noon today, the first Sunday
after Epiphany, which concludes the liturgical season of Christmas, Benedict
XVI appeared at the window of his study to pray the Angelus with the faithful
gathered in St.
Peter's Square.
"Today we celebrate," the Pope said, "the feast of the Baptism of Jesus. That
child?born of the Virgin, whom we contemplated in the mystery of his birth?we
see as an adult, immersing himself in the waters of the River Jordan and thus
sanctifying all
waters and the entire world, as an Eastern tradition affirms. But why did
Jesus, who had not the shadow of sin, go to be baptised by the prophet John?
Why did he want to undertake this gesture of penitence and conversion together
with so many others who
wanted to prepare for the coming of the Messiah? This gesture that marks the
beginning of Christ's public life, as all the evangelists testify, is part of
the same line of the Incarnation, of God's descent from the highest heaven to
the abyss of hell.
The meaning of this divine abasement is summed up in a single word: love,
which is the very name of God."
Jesus who is baptised in the River Jordan is 'the new man who wants to live as
a child of God, that is, in love; he is the one who, faced with the evils of
the world, chooses the path of humility and responsibility, chooses not to
save himself, but
instead to offer his life for truth and justice. Being a Christian means
living this way, but this way of life bears with it a rebirth: being reborn
from above, from God, from Grace. This rebirth is the Baptism that Christ gave
the Church to renew
persons to new life."
The Holy Father, recalling that this morning he had baptised several children
in the Sistine Chapel, wanted to extend his blessing and prayers "to all
newborns. Above all I would like to invite us all to recall our own Baptism,
that spiritual rebirth
that opened the path of eternal life to us. May every Christians, in this Year
of Faith, discover anew the beauty of being reborn from above, from the love
of God, and live as a true child of God."
___________________________________________________________
IMMIGRANTS ARE BEARERS OF FAITH AND HOPE
Vatican City, 14 January 2013 (VIS) – After praying the Angelus, the
Pope recalled that today marks the World Day of Migrants and Refugees and, in
his annual message for the occasion, compared immigration to "a pilgrimage of
faith and hope".
"Those who leave their lands," he emphasized, "do so because they hope for a
better future, but also because they trust in God who guides the steps of the
human being, as He did with Abraham. In this way immigrants are bearers of
faith and hope to the
world. Today I greet each one of them with a special prayer and blessing."
In his greetings in French, the Pope repeated this theme, expressing the
desire that immigrants and their families, wherever they gather, "be welcomed
and assisted so that they might have a dignified existence. Like Jesus," he
urged, "we must be near to
those who suffer and who have no voice of their own to make themselves heard."
___________________________________________________________
POPE RECEIVES PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF MONACO
Vatican City, 12 January 2013 (VIS) - This morning in the Apostolic Palace of
the Vatican, the Holy Father received in audience His Serene Highness Prince
Albert II of Monaco along with his wife, Princess Charlene, and entourage.
Following the audience
with the Pope, the prince met with Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio
Bertone, S.D.B., and Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations
with States.
During the course of cordial discussions several topics were covered including
the meaningful contribution of the Catholic Church to the principality’s
social life and international interests such as the integral development of
peoples and the
protection of natural resources and the environment.
___________________________________________________________
CARDINAL BERTONE: DIVINE WISDOM FOR THE DELICATE AND SERIOUS TASK OF
ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE
Vatican City, 12 January 2013 (VIS) - Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio
Bertone, S.D.B., celebrated Mass this morning in the Chapel of Mary Mother of
the Family in the Governorate Palace of the Vatican to inaugurate the 84th
judicial year of the
Tribunal of the Vatican City State.
"We would like to invoke Divine Wisdom," the cardinal said, "for the delicate
and serious task of administrating justice." He then greeted, among others,
the President of the Tribunal, Giuseppe Dalla Torre, the judges, the promoter
of justice, and the
various workers in the administrative office, relaying to them "blessed
greetings from the Holy Father who follows your appreciated labour with
attentive interest."
Commenting on the Gospel reading that focused on St. John the Baptist, the
Secretary of State emphasized that the prophet's example and witness are "a
summons to believers so that they may set aside attention-seeking, their
wanting to be seen, thus
reducing their own ego so that the love for Jesus might grow in each of us and
in others. He is the Way the, Truth, and the Life. This attitude requires
humility of heart, which is a gift from God that we must unceasingly ask for
in prayer. This is why
the John the Apostle, whom we listened to in the First Reading, …
recommends confident prayer to the Father who, if the one who asks is ready to
do His will, will grant their request. We also ask and pray for our brothers
and sisters, so that
they might not remain obstinately in evil and thus refuse conversion. Mutual
prayer acquires the value of an exquisite act of charity. St. Paul also
recommends several times that we pray for one other and Jesus prays that
Peter, after
repenting, might confirm the faith of the other apostles."
"In this Mass our prayer community turns to the Lord so that each of us might
carry out our service in the administration of justice toward our unique
community of the Vatican City State with humility and in truth. I wish all of
you who are
participating in the inauguration of the judicial year in various ways, to be
able to grow in the awareness that harmony, justice, and peace are not fully
achievable without dedication to God and acceptance of His grace. Each of us
is also invited to an
informed openness to the Transcendent, which the Holy Father recommended to
the members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See a few days ago.
He affirmed that without such an openness, 'humans easily fall pray to
relativism and thus find it
difficult to act justly or to commit themselves to peace'," the cardinal
concluded.
___________________________________________________________
POPE RECEIVES CORPS OF VATICAN GENDARMERIE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT
Vatican City, 11 January 2013 (VIS) - This afternoon, the Holy Father received
the Corps of the Gendarmerie and the Fire Department of the Vatican City Sate
in the Clementine Hall of the Vatican palace. After a greeting offered by
Commander Domenico
Giani, director of Security Services and Civil Protection, Benedict XVI
addressed those gathered.
“This occasion,” said the Pope, “gives me the opportunity to
express to you … my appreciation, my heartfelt encouragement, and
mostly my deep gratitude for the generous work you carry out discretely,
competently, efficiently,
and not without sacrifice. Almost every day I have the opportunity to meet
some of you in your various places of work and to personally witness your
professionalism in collaborating on and guaranteeing the Pope’s
surveillance as well as the
necessary safety and order of those who reside in the state and those who take
part in the celebrations and events that take place in the Vatican.”
“The Corps of the Gendarmerie is called to carry out, among other tasks,
that of courteously and kindly greeting the Vatican’s pilgrims and
visitors who come from Rome, Italy, and every part of the world. This labour
of vigilance and
control, which you conduct with diligence and care, is certainly substantial
and delicate. At times it requires more than a little patience, perseverance,
and willingness to listen. It is a very useful service to the tranquil and
safe conduct of daily
life and of the religious events of Vatican City.”
The Pope urged the gendarmes and firefighters to see on each pilgrim and
visitor “the face of a brother or sister whom God has placed on your
path” and to therefore “to welcome them with courtesy and assist
them knowing that they are
part of the great human family. Your task,” he emphasized, “will
be more efficient for the Holy See and more enriching for you the more that it
is undertaken with serenity and harmony. To that end it is necessary that the
gendarmes, who for
a long time have guaranteed their service within the Corps, and those
responsible for their mandate establish, ever more fully, trusting
relationships that can sustain and nourish all the members of the Vatican's
Gendarmerie, even in difficult moments."
"May your unique presence at the heart of Christianity, where crowds and
faithful constantly gather to meet the successor of Peter and to visit the
tombs of the Apostles, always arouse in each of you the task of intensifying
the spiritual dimension of
life as well as the commitment to deepen your Christian faith, bearing
courageous witness to it in each area of life with coherent conduct," the Holy
Father concluded.
___________________________________________________________
AUDIENCES
Vatican City, 14 January 2013 (VIS) – On Saturday, the Holy Father
received in audience Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., prefect of the
Congregation for Bishops.
This morning, the Holy Father received in separate audiences:
Cardinal Fernando Filoni, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation
of Peoples,
six prelates from the Abruzzo-Molise region of the Italian Episcopal
Conference, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Archbishop Giancarlo Maria Bregantini, C.S.S., of Campobasso-Boiano;
- Archbishop Bruno Forte of Chieti-Vasto;
- Archbishop Emidio Cipollone of Lanciano-Ortona;
- Bishop Domenico Angelo Scotti of Trivento;
- Bishop Gianfranco De Luca of Termoli-Larino; and
- Bishop Salvatore Visco of Isernia-Venafro.
___________________________________________________________
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 12 January 2013 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father:
- appointed Bishop Julio Parrilla Diaz as bishop of Riobamba (area 7,014,
population 517,000, Catholics 405,000, priests 79, permanent deacons 7,
religious 218), Ecuador. Bishop Parrilla Diaz, previously bishop of Loja,
Ecuador, was born in Orense,
Spain in 1946, ordained a priest in 1975, and received episcopal ordination in
2008. In the Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference he currently serves as president
of the Caritas Pastoral Social Commission.
- appointed Bishop Daniel Kozelinski Netto as apostolic visitor to the
faithful Byzantine Rite Ukrainians resident in Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, and
Venezuela. Bishop Kozelinski Netto is also titular of Eminentiana, apostolic
administrator of Santa
María del Patrocinio en Buenos Aires of the Ukrainians, Argentina, and
auxiliary of the eparchy of Sao Joao Batista em Curitiba of the Ukrainians,
Brazil.
___________________________________________________________
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VISnews130114
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE YEAR XXIII - N° 9DATE 14-01-2013
Summary: - BENEDICT XVI PRAISES WORK OF
VATICAN'S PUBLIC SAFETY
INSPECTORATE - IN BAPTISM JESUS IS IN SOLIDARITY WITH US - BEING A
CHRISTIAN MEANS CHOOSING PATH OF RESPONSIBILITY - IMMIGRANTS ARE BEARERS
OF FAITH AND HOPE - POPE RECEIVES PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF MONACO -
CARDINAL BERTONE:
DIVINE WISDOM FOR THE DELICATE AND SERIOUS TASK OF ADMINISTRATION OF
JUSTICE - POPE RECEIVES CORPS OF VATICAN GENDARMERIE AND FIRE
DEPARTMENT - AUDIENCES - OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS ___________________________________________________________
BENEDICT XVI PRAISES WORK OF VATICAN'S PUBLIC SAFETY INSPECTORATE
Vatican City, 14 January 2013 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father received
members of the General Inspectorate of Public Safety in the Vatican as is
customary at the beginning of the new year, to exchange greetings for the new
year. In his address
he emphasized the dedication and professionalism with which they undertake
their tasks, especially during events with faithful and pilgrims who "arrive
from all over the world to meet the successor of Peter and to visit the tomb
of the Prince of the
Apostles, as well as to pray at the tombs of my venerated predecessors,
particularly Blessed John Paul II.
The Pope recalled that the duty of the members of the Inspectorate also
extends to his pastoral visits and apostolic trips to Italy and he thanked
them for "the manner and spirit that animate your vigilant and qualified
service. It is a manner that,
at the same time that it honours your identity as functionaries of the Italian
State and members of the Church, also attests to the good relations between
Italy and the Holy See." He also expressed the desire that this task, not
exempt from sacrifice
and danger, be always inspired by "a steadfast Christian faith that is,
undoubtedly, the most precious treasure and spiritual valour that your
families have entrusted you with and which you are called to impart to your
children. The Year of Faith that
the entire Church is now living is also, for you, an opportunity to return to
the Gospel message in order to let it enter more deeply into your consciences
and your daily life, courageously witnessing to the love of God
in every area, even that of your jobs."
"May your presence be," he concluded, "an ever more valid guarantee of that
good order and tranquillity that are fundamental to building a peaceful and
calm social life and that, besides being taught by the Gospel message, are a
sign of true
civilization."
Vatican City, 13 January 2013 (VIS) – This morning in the Sistine
Chapel the Holy Father baptised 20 children born in the past few months and
children of employees of the Vatican City State.
In his homily the Pope recalled that, once an adult, Jesus began his public
ministry by going to the River Jordan to receive a baptism of penitence and
conversion from John. "Was Jesus in need of penitence and conversion?" the
pontiff asked.
--- NetMgr/2 1.0y+
* Origin: NetMgr+ @ Sursum Corda! BBS Meridian MS USA (1:396/45)
