OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, DEC 18, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Bishop Bruno Bertagna, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, as auditor general of the Apostolic Camera.

  On Saturday, December 16, it was made public that he:

 - Appointed Archbishop Thomas Christopher Collins of Edmonton, Canada, as metropolitan archbishop of Toronto (area 13,000, population 5,083,000, Catholics 1,374,000, priests 799, permanent deacons 119, religious 1,206), Canada. He succeeds Cardinal Aloysius Matthew Ambrozic, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese, the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

 - Appointed Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan, professor of physics at the Physical Research Laboratory of Ahmedabad, India, as an ordinary member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.
NA:NER:RE/.../...                                VIS 20061218 (130)

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, DEC 18, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

 - Cardinal Ennio Antonelli, archbishop of Florence, Italy.

 - Durak Osman, ambassador of Turkey on his farewell visit.

 - Bishop Antoni Stankiewicz, dean of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota, accompanied by members of his family.

 - Bishop Gianfranco Girotti O.F.M. Conv., regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary, accompanied by members of his family.

 - Bishop Raffaele Farina S.D.B., prefect of the Vatican Apostolic Library, accompanied by members of his family

  On Saturday, December 16, he received in separate audiences:

 - Nikola Gruevski, prime minister of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, accompanied by an entourage.

 - Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins C.M.F., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

 - Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
AP/.../...                                        VIS 20061218 (140)

MIGRANTS ENRICH CULTURES AND SOCIETIES

VATICAN CITY, DEC 18, 2006 (VIS) - On December 1, Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi C.S., permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations and International Institutions in Geneva, delivered an address before the 92nd council session of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

  In his English-language talk, made public today, Archbishop Tomasi recalled that "the lesson of history is that migrants enrich cultures and societies and that transnational families and communities create bridges of understanding and productive interaction. It shows that the most important resource of all is the human person."

  "If the economy of the receiving countries benefits from the work of the immigrants - obviously it cannot do without them - the life aspirations of the immigrants must be attended to, and the possibility to integrate must be given. National legislation cannot aim at regulating only the flows of services and jobs without taking into account the person that provides those services. For this reason," the archbishop concluded, "family reunification must be a primary consideration: the family plays a fundamental role in the integration process, in giving stability to the presence of the immigrants in the new social environment, and even in the dynamics of temporary migrations."
DELSS/MIGRATIONS/GENEVA:TOMASI                    VIS 20061218 (210)

JEWS AND CHRISTIANS MUST PROMOTE SHARED VALUES

VATICAN CITY, DEC 18, 2006 (VIS) - Today in the Vatican, Benedict XVI received 112 members of B'nai B'rith International (in Hebrew, 'Sons of the Covenant'), the world's oldest Jewish volunteer organization, founded in New York in 1843.

  In greeting them, the Pope recalled how, since the 1965 promulgation of the Vatican Council II Declaration "Nostra Aetate," representatives of B'nai B'rith have visited the Holy See on numerous occasions, in "the spirit of understanding, respect and mutual appreciation which is developing between our communities."

  Continuing his English-language talk, the Pope pointed out that "much has been achieved in the past four decades of Jewish-Catholic relations, and we must be grateful to God for the remarkable transformation that has taken place on the basis of our common spiritual patrimony. It is this rich heritage of faith which enables our communities not only to enter into dialogue, but also to be partners in working together for the good of the human family. ... Jews and Christians are called to work together for the healing of the world by promoting the spiritual and moral values grounded in our faith convictions. If we give a clear example of fruitful cooperation, our voice in responding to the needs of the human family will be all the more convincing.

  "On the occasion of your visit, I reiterate my unfailing hope and prayer for peace in the Holy Land. Peace can only come about if it is the concern of Jews, Christians and Muslims alike, expressed in genuine inter-religious dialogue and concrete gestures of reconciliation. All believers are challenged to show that it is not hatred and violence, but understanding and peaceful cooperation which open the door to that future of justice and peace which is God's promise and gift."
AC/JEWS:CHRISTIANS COOPERATION/B'NAI B'RITH            VIS 20061218 (310)

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, DEC 18, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Bishop Bruno Bertagna, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, as auditor general of the Apostolic Camera.

  On Saturday, December 16, it was made public that he:

 - Appointed Archbishop Thomas Christopher Collins of Edmonton, Canada, as metropolitan archbishop of Toronto (area 13,000, population 5,083,000, Catholics 1,374,000, priests 799, permanent deacons 119, religious 1,206), Canada. He succeeds Cardinal Aloysius Matthew Ambrozic, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese, the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

 - Appointed Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan, professor of physics at the Physical Research Laboratory of Ahmedabad, India, as an ordinary member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.
NA:NER:RE/.../...                                VIS 20061218 (130)

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, DEC 18, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

 - Cardinal Ennio Antonelli, archbishop of Florence, Italy.

 - Durak Osman, ambassador of Turkey on his farewell visit.

 - Bishop Antoni Stankiewicz, dean of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota, accompanied by members of his family.

 - Bishop Gianfranco Girotti O.F.M. Conv., regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary, accompanied by members of his family.

 - Bishop Raffaele Farina S.D.B., prefect of the Vatican Apostolic Library, accompanied by members of his family

  On Saturday, December 16, he received in separate audiences:

 - Nikola Gruevski, prime minister of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, accompanied by an entourage.

 - Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins C.M.F., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

 - Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
AP/.../...                                        VIS 20061218 (140)

MIGRANTS ENRICH CULTURES AND SOCIETIES

VATICAN CITY, DEC 18, 2006 (VIS) - On December 1, Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi C.S., permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations and International Institutions in Geneva, delivered an address before the 92nd council session of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

  In his English-language talk, made public today, Archbishop Tomasi recalled that "the lesson of history is that migrants enrich cultures and societies and that transnational families and communities create bridges of understanding and productive interaction. It shows that the most important resource of all is the human person."

  "If the economy of the receiving countries benefits from the work of the immigrants - obviously it cannot do without them - the life aspirations of the immigrants must be attended to, and the possibility to integrate must be given. National legislation cannot aim at regulating only the flows of services and jobs without taking into account the person that provides those services. For this reason," the archbishop concluded, "family reunification must be a primary consideration: the family plays a fundamental role in the integration process, in giving stability to the presence of the immigrants in the new social environment, and even in the dynamics of temporary migrations."
DELSS/MIGRATIONS/GENEVA:TOMASI                    VIS 20061218 (210)

JEWS AND CHRISTIANS MUST PROMOTE SHARED VALUES

VATICAN CITY, DEC 18, 2006 (VIS) - Today in the Vatican, Benedict XVI received 112 members of B'nai B'rith International (in Hebrew, 'Sons of the Covenant'), the world's oldest Jewish volunteer organization, founded in New York in 1843.

  In greeting them, the Pope recalled how, since the 1965 promulgation of the Vatican Council II Declaration "Nostra Aetate," representatives of B'nai B'rith have visited the Holy See on numerous occasions, in "the spirit of understanding, respect and mutual appreciation which is developing between our communities."

  Continuing his English-language talk, the Pope pointed out that "much has been achieved in the past four decades of Jewish-Catholic relations, and we must be grateful to God for the remarkable transformation that has taken place on the basis of our common spiritual patrimony. It is this rich heritage of faith which enables our communities not only to enter into dialogue, but also to be partners in working together for the good of the human family. ... Jews and Christians are called to work together for the healing of the world by promoting the spiritual and moral values grounded in our faith convictions. If we give a clear example of fruitful cooperation, our voice in responding to the needs of the human family will be all the more convincing.

  "On the occasion of your visit, I reiterate my unfailing hope and prayer for peace in the Holy Land. Peace can only come about if it is the concern of Jews, Christians and Muslims alike, expressed in genuine inter-religious dialogue and concrete gestures of reconciliation. All believers are challenged to show that it is not hatred and violence, but understanding and peaceful cooperation which open the door to that future of justice and peace which is God's promise and gift."
AC/JEWS:CHRISTIANS COOPERATION/B'NAI B'RITH            VIS 20061218 (310)

BLESSING THE "BABY JESUS," HELP FOR IRAQI REFUGEES

VATICAN CITY, DEC 17, 2006 (VIS) - At midday today, after praying the Angelus, the Pope delivered his customary blessing upon the figures of the Child Jesus, brought to St. Peter's Square by children of Rome in the company of their parents and teachers. The children traditionally bring the figures for blessing before placing them in nativity scenes in their own homes and parishes.

  After thanking the Roman Oratory Center for having organized "this important pilgrimage," the Holy Father said to the children: "Pray to Jesus before the nativity scene, and ask Him also for the Pope's intentions. I thank you and I wish you a happy Christmas."

  The Pope then went on to refer to "the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees in Syria, forced to leave their country because of the dramatic situation there. Caritas Syria is already active in their support, nonetheless I appeal to the sensibility of individuals, international organizations and governments, to make further efforts to meet these people's most urgent needs. I raise my prayers to the Lord, that He may bring comfort to these brothers and sisters, and move many hearts to generosity."
ANG/JESUS:REFUGEES SYRIA/...                        VIS 20061218 (200)

JOY, A PROPHETIC ANNOUNCEMENT ADDRESSED TO ALL HUMANITY

VATICAN CITY, DEC 17, 2006 (VIS) - At midday today, Benedict XVI appeared at the window of his study overlooking St. Peter's Square, in order to pray the Angelus with the thousands of pilgrims gathered below.

  "On this third Sunday of Advent," said the Pope, "the liturgy invites us to the joy of the spirit. ... The joy that the liturgy reawakens in the hearts of Christians is not reserved just for them, it is a prophetic announcement addressed to all humanity, especially to the poor, in this case to those poorest in joy!"

  Our thoughts go, the Holy Father continued, "to our brothers and sisters who, especially in the Middle East, in some parts of Africa and in other parts of the world, experience the drama of war. What joy can they have? How will their Christmas be? We think of the many sick and lonely people, who suffer spiritual as well as physical torment because they often feel abandoned. How can we share our joy with them without showing a lack of respect for their suffering?

  "But we also think," he added, "of those people, especially the young, who have lost all feeling of real joy, and seek it in vain where it cannot be found: in the constant pursuit of self-affirmation and success, ... in consumerism, in moments of inebriation, in the artificial paradise of drugs and all forms of alienation. We cannot but compare today's liturgy, and its invitation to be joyful, with these dramatic truths."

  "Yet the Word of the Lord," the Pope concluded, "is addressed precisely to those undergoing moments of trial, to those 'wounded by life and orphaned of joy.' The invitation to joy is not an alienating message, or a sterile palliative, rather it is the prophecy of salvation, an appeal to redemption that begins with inner renewal."
ANG/JOY/...                                    VIS 20061218 (320)

DECREES OF THE CONGREGATION FOR THE CAUSES OF SAINTS

VATICAN CITY, DEC 16, 2006 (VIS) - This morning, during a private audience with Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins C.M.F., president of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, the Pope authorized the congregation to promulgate the decrees concerning the following causes:

MIRACLES

 - Blessed Szymon of Lipnica, Polish, priest of the Order of Friars Minor (1439-1482).

 - Blessed Antonio de Santa Ana (ne Antonio Galvao de Franca), Brazilian, priest of the Order of Alcantarine or Discalced Friars Minor, and founder of the Convent of Conceptionist Sisters (1739-1822).

 - Blessed Charles of St. Andrew (ne Johannes Andreas Houben), Dutch, priest of the Congregation of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ (1821-1893).

 - Blessed Marie Eugenie de Jesus (nee Anne-Eugenie Milleret de Brou), French, foundress of the Institute of Sisters of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (1817-1898).

 - Venerable Servant of God Carlo Liviero, Italian, bishop of Citta di Castello and founder of the Congregation of Little Handmaidens of the Sacred Heart (1866-1932).

 - Venerable Servant of God Stanislaus of Jesus Mary (ne Jana Papczynski), Polish, priest and founder of the Congregation of Marian Clerics of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary (1631-1701).

 - Venerable Servant of God Celina Chludzinska, Polish, widow and foundress of the Congregation of Sisters of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ (1833-1913).

 - Venerable Servant of God Marie Celine of the Presentation (nee Jeanne-Germaine Castang), French, nun of the Second Order of St. Francis (1878-1897).

MARTYRDOM

 - Servants of God Manuel Gomez Gonzalez, Spanish, diocesan priest born in 1877, and Adilio Daronch, Brazilian, lay person born in 1908, both killed in Feijao Miudo, Brazil, in 1924.

 - Servant of God Albertina Berkenbrock, Brazilian, lay person born in 1919, killed in 1931.

 - Servant of God Eufrasio of the Baby Jesus (ne Eufrasio Barredo Fernandez), Spanish, born in 1897, priest of the Order of Discalced Carmelites, killed during religious persecution in Spain in 1934.

 - Servants of God Lorenzo, Virgilio and 44 companions of the Institute of Brothers of the Marist Schools, Spanish, killed during religious persecution in Spain in 1936.

 - Enrique Izquierdo Palacios and 13 companions, Spanish, of the Order of Friars Preachers, killed during religious persecution in Spain in 1936.

 - Servants of God Ovidio Beltran, Hermenegildo Lorenzo, Luciano Pablo, Estanislao Victor and Lorenzo Santiago, Spanish, members of the Institute of Brothers of the Christian Schools, and Jose Maria Canovas Martinez, Spanish, parish helper, killed during religious persecution in Spain in 1936.

 - Servants of God Maria del Carmen, Rosa and Magdalena Fradera Ferragutcasas, Spanish, religious of the Congregation of Daughters of the Blessed and Immaculate Heart of Mary, killed during religious persecution in Spain in 1936.

 - Servant of God Lindalva Justo de Oliveira, Brazilian, of the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, born in 1953, killed in 1993 in Sao Salvador de Bahia, Brazil.

HEROIC VIRTUES

 - Servant of God Mamerto Esquiu, Argentinean (1826-1883), of the Order of Friars Minor, bishop of Cordoba, Argentina.

 - Servant of God Salvatore Micalizzi, Italian (1856-1937), professed priest of the Congregation of the Mission.

 - Servants of God Jose Olallo Valdes, Cuban (1820-1889), professed religious of the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God.

 - Servant of God Stefan Kaszap, Hungarian (1916-1935), novice of the Society of Jesus.
CCS/DECREES/SARAIVA                            VIS 20061218 (560)

DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN HOLY SEE AND MONTENEGRO

VATICAN CITY, DEC 16, 2006 (VIS) - According to a communique made public this morning, "the Holy See and the Republic of Montenegro, in the desire to foment relations of mutual friendship, have decided, in common agreement, to establish diplomatic relations, at the level of an apostolic nunciature on the part of the Holy See, and of an embassy on the part of the Republic of Montenegro."

  A note attached to the communique recalls that, "in 1852, the Austro-Hungarian empire and Russia recognized Montenegro as a secular Principality" and that, "in 1886, a convention was signed by the Principality and the Holy See, in which the Catholic Church was officially recognized."

  "Following the victory of communist partisans at the end of the Second World War," the note continues, "the monarchy was abolished and Montenegro became one of the six republics making up the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, governed until 1980 by Marshall Tito. ... As Yugoslavia disintegrated between 1991 and 1995, Montenegro remained united to Serbia. In 2003 it adhered to the Union of Serbia and Montenegro, … which was dissolved by the declaration of separation by the Montenegrin parliament in 2006."

  "The Holy See recognized the Republic of Montenegro on June 19, 2006. Currently, the country has two Catholic ecclesiastical circumscriptions: the archdiocese of Antivari (Bar), which is immediately subject to the Holy See and has 11,500 Catholics, mostly Albanians, 19 parishes, 12 priests and 34 female religious; and the diocese of Cattaro (Kotor), suffragan of Spalato (Split), with 10,000 Catholics, mostly Croats, 23 parishes, 15 priests and 31 female religious. The two ordinaries belong to the International Episcopal Conference of Sts. Cyril and Methodius."
.../DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS/MONTENEGRO                VIS 20061218 (290)

MUSEUMS: CENTERS OF CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT

VATICAN CITY, DEC 16, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received participants in an international congress on the theme: "The Concept of Museum: identity, task, prospects." The congress, held from December 13 to 15, was the final event of this year's celebrations marking the fifth centenary of the Vatican Museums.

  "The Vatican Museums," said the Pope, "present an extraordinary opportunity for evangelization because, through the various exhibits on display, they provide visitors with an eloquent testimony of the close and constant bond between the divine and the human in the life and history of peoples."

  Benedict XVI noted how the function of the Museum "has changed perceptibly. … From being a privilege it has become a right; from being a center reserved for artists, specialists and men of culture, it has now become a 'home' for everyone, thus responding to a widespread need for education in society."

  After highlighting how, in the Museums, new generations "may recognize the roots of their history and culture," the Pope encouraged "all initiatives that favor the integration and meeting of individuals and peoples."

  In this context he added: "Even taking account of the new social conditions, the Museums can also be a place for artistic mediation, links between the past, the present and the future, a crossroads for men and women from different continents, and research laboratories and centers for cultural and spiritual enrichment."

  Dialogue between cultures and religions, he concluded, "cannot but facilitate mutual knowledge and render more fruitful the efforts to build a shared future of progress solidarity and peace for all humanity. The Museums can help to spread the culture of peace if, while maintaining their status as temples of historical memory, they also become places of dialogue and friendship among everyone."
AC/VATICAN MUSEUMS/...                            VIS 20061218 (300)