IN BRIEF

THE POPE WROTE A MESSAGE TO PARTICIPANTS in the International Congress on consecrated life which took place on November 23-27 with the theme "Passion for Christ, passion for humanity."  The Holy Father writes that "in a society in which often love does not find space to be gratuitously expressed, consecrated men and women are called to bear witness to the logic of disinterested generosity. ... Ardor for Christ and for souls, the insatiable thirst for divine love and the desire to bring this love to all human beings must constantly nourish your commitment to personal conversion, sanctity and evangelization."

MADE PUBLIC TODAY WAS A LETTER FROM THE POPE to Cardinal Eugenio Araujo Sales, archbishop emeritus of Sao Sebastiao do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in which he appoints him as his special envoy to the celebrations of the centenary of the image "Nossa Senhora do Sameiro" and on the 150th anniversary of the definition of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception which will take place in Braga, Portugal on December 8.  The mission which will accompany the cardinal is composed of Msgrs. Eduardo de Melo Peixoto and Domingos Soutinho da Silva from the archdiocese of Braga, Msgrs. Manuel Moreira Vieira and Jose Roberto Rodrigues Devellard of the archdiocese of Sao Sebastiao do Rio de Janeiro and Msgr. Jean-Francois Lantheaume, secretary of the nunciature in Lisbon.

IN ANOTHER LETTER ADDRESSED TO CARDINAL JAN PIETER SCHOTTE, C.I.C.M., president of the Office of Labor of the Apostolic See, the Pope appoints him as special envoy to the closing celebrations of the year dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the definition of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception which will take place in Washington D.C. on December 8.  Accompanying the cardinal will be Msgr. Michael J. Bransfield, rector of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C., and Fr. David M. O'Connell, C.M., of the Catholic University of America.
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