EVANGELISATION IS NOT THE WORK OF SPECIALISTS BUT OF THE ENTIRE PEOPLE OF GOD

Vatican City,  (VIS) - "As members of the college of bishops, you must always have particular care for the universal Church, especially by promoting and defending the unity of the faith. ... This is a particularly important in our own times, which call on you courageously to invite mankind of all degrees to meet Christ and to strengthen the faith". These words were addressed by the Pope to bishops participating in a congress currently being promoted by the Congregation for Bishops and the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.

The bishops' pilgrimage to the Tomb of St. Peter is or particular importance this year, the Holy Father noted, in light of the forthcoming Year of Faith marking the fiftieth anniversary of Vatican Council II and the Thirteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the theme: "The New Evangelisation for the Transmission of the Christian Faith".

The bishops' first concern, then, must be "to promote and support 'stronger ecclesial commitment to new evangelisation in order to rediscover the joy of believing and the enthusiasm for communicating the faith'. You are called", the Pope told his audience, "to support and nourish communion and collaboration between all parts of you dioceses. Evangelisation is not the work of a small number of specialists but of the entire People of God under the guidance of their pastors. Each member of the faithful, with and within ecclesial communion, must feel the responsibility to announce and bear witness to the Gospel".

Benedict XVI then went on to recall how, during the opening of Vatican Council II, Blessed John XXIII had affirmed the need for "'this certain and unchanging doctrine, which must be faithfully respected, to be developed and presented in a way that responds to the necessities of our time'. We could say that new evangelisation began with the Council, which Blessed John XXIII saw as a new Pentecost that would make the Church flourish in her interior richness and here maternal outreach towards all areas of human activity. The effects of that new Pentecost, despite the difficulties, have extended to every expression of Church life: from the institutional to the spiritual, from the participation of the lay faithful, to the growth of charisms and sanctity".

This heritage has been entrusted to the pastoral care of bishops, the Pope explained, and he encouraged his hearers "to draw from this patrimony of doctrine, spirituality and sanctity in order to educate your flock in the faith, that their witness may become increasingly credible. At the same time your episcopal office requires you 'to give reasons for the hope that is in you' to everyone seeking the faith or the ultimate meaning of life. In them too 'grace works in an unseen way, for Christ died for all men, and the ultimate vocation of man is one, and divine'. I encourage you, then, to work to ensure that everyone, in keeping with their age and condition, be presented with the central contents of the faith, systematically and completely, in order to respond to the questions raised by our technological and globalised world. ... The Catechism of the Catholic Church is vital to this end, a sure norm for teaching faith and communion in the one Creed. The world in which we live requires Christians to have a solid formation".

The faith calls for "credible witnesses, people who trust in the Lord and entrust themselves to Him 'to become a living sign of the presence of the Risen Lord in the world'. The bishop, who is the first witness to the faith, accompanies believers on their journey offering them the example of a life lived in faithful abandonment to God. ... It is not, in fact, possible to serve mankind without first being servants of God", the Holy Father said.

He concluded by reminding the prelates that "your personal commitment to sanctity must involve daily assimilation of the Word of God in Prayer and in the Eucharist. ... Charity must impel you to remain close to your priests. ... They are your first and most important collaborators in bringing God to mankind and mankind to God. The charity of the Good Shepherd will also make you attentive to the poor and suffering, bringing them consolation and support, and guiding those who have lost touch with the meaning of life. Remain particularly close to families, ... that they may build their lives on the solid rock of friendship with Christ. And have particular care for seminarians, ... so the community may continue to have mature and joyful pastors, sure guides in the faith".

POPE SENDS GREETINGS TO THE JEWISH COMMUNITY OF ROME

Vatican City,  (VIS) - Given below is the text of a telegram sent by the Holy Father to Riccardo Di Segni, chief rabbi of Rome, for the Jewish festivities of Rosh Hashanah (New Year), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles), which all fall in this period.

The Pope expresses his best wishes for "peace and goodness to you and to the entire Jewish community of Rome, asking the Almighty for copious blessings for the New Year and hoping that Jews and Christians, as they grow in mutual respect and friendship, many bear witness in the world to the values that arise from adoration of the One God".

HOLY FATHER TO MAKE A PASTORAL VISIT TO THE SHRINE OF LORETO

Vatican City,  (VIS) - The Holy Father is to make a pastoral visit to Loreto, Italy, on 4 October, marking the fiftieth anniversary of Blessed Pope John XXIII's visit to that Marian shrine.

Benedict XVI will depart from the Vatican by helicopter at 9 a.m., arriving at the John Paul II Centre at Montorso an hour later. At 10.20 a.m. he is due to visit the Holy House contained inside the shrine, where he will adore the Blessed Sacrament and pray to Our Lady of Loreto. At 10.30 a.m. he will celebrate Mass and pronounce a homily on the Piazza della Madonna di Loreto. Having had lunch at the John Paul II Centre, we is due to depart at 5 p.m. and to arrive back in the Vatican at 6 p.m.

GLOBAL SECURITY MUST NOT RELY ON NUCLEAR WEAPONS

Vatican City,  (VIS) - Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States and head of the Holy See delegation to the fifty-sixth General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), yesterday addressed that gathering, which is meeting in the Austrian capital Vienna from 17 to 21 September.

"Global security must not rely on nuclear weapons", the archbishop said in his English-language remarks. "The Holy See considers the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) an important tool to achieve this aim, without mentioning its potential civil and scientific application through its International Monitoring System. ... The Holy See is convinced that, in working together, the signature, ratification and entry into force of the Treaty will represent a great leap forward for the future of humanity, as well as for the protection of the earth and environment entrusted to our care by the Creator.

"Also in this regard", he added, "the ratification on the part of all States, in particular nuclear-weapon States, of the respective Protocols to the Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones Treaties is of paramount importance. The Holy See restates its strong support for the efforts to establish such a zone in the Middle East and remains hopeful for the discussions that will take place on this topic in Finland. Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones are the best example of trust, confidence and affirmation that peace and security are possible without possessing nuclear weapons".

"An important issue affecting not only the IAEA family, but the human family at large, is the topic of nuclear safety. ... What transpired at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station quickly revealed that a local nuclear crisis is indeed a global problem. It also revealed that the world is exposed to real and systemic risks, and not just hypothetical ones, with incalculable costs, and the necessity of developing international political coordination the likes of which have never been seen, thus raising many questions".

"The Technical Cooperation Programme of the Agency is one of the principal instruments for transferring nuclear science and technology to member States in order to promote social, economic and integral development. Its initiatives, when tailored to the needs of the recipient States and their partners in the context of national priorities, help to combat poverty and can thus contribute to a more peaceful solution of the serious problems facing humanity". In this context Archbishop Mamberti mentioned the role of radiation therapy in cancer treatment, at the same time noting that "in the developing world, more than half of the number of patients suffering from cancer will not have access to radiotherapy due to the lack of appropriate equipment and sufficiently trained staff. ... The Holy See appreciates the work and efforts of the IAEA and its partners in the planning and furthering of cancer-control programmes and encourages the IAEA to continue to pursue and strengthen these eminently important activities".

AUDIENCES

Vatican City,  (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience six prelates of the Conference of Bishops of France on their "ad limina" visit:

- Archbishop Jean-Charles Descubes of Rouen.

- Bishop Jean-Claude Boulanger of Bayeux.

- Bishop Stanislas Lalanne of Coutances.

- Bishop Christian Nourrichard of Evreux.

- Bishop Jean-Luc Brunin of Le Havre.

- Bishop Jacques Habert of Sees.