ACTIVITIES OF POPE FRANCIS DURING THE MONTH OF AUGUST

Vatican City, 3 September 2013 (VIS) - We offer below a list of the activities of Pope Francis during the month of August. It includes the Angelus, audiences, other pontifical acts, telegrams, messages and other news. The activities are presented in chronological order under their respective headings:

ANGELUS

4.- The Pope gives thanks to the Lord for World Youth Day in Rio and in the day's Gospel, alludes to the absurdity of basing happiness in consumerism, reminding us that the true wealth is God's love shared with one's brothers and sisters.

11.- Jesus taught his disciples by showing them what he held in his heart: detachment from earthly goods, trust in God's providence and actively awaiting the Kingdom of God. The Pope emphasizes that the love of God gives value and beauty to everything around us.

15.- From Castel Gandolfo, Francis invites us to say “yes” to God, as a step towards eternal life, and recalls the 25th anniversary of the Blessed Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Letter “Dignitatem Mulieris”.

18.- Continuing the theme of saying "yes" to God, the Pope explains that faith is not an ornament for decorating life, but rather involves choosing God as a criterion and basis for life.

25.- Jesus is the “little” door that leads to the Father; it is always open and invites all to pass, promising full and everlasting joy. Francis prays for the situation in Syria and encourages a resolution of these problems through encounter and dialogue rather than war.

MESSAGES AND TELEGRAMS

1. The Holy Father writes a message to Muslims around the world to mark the end of the Ramadan festival, with the theme "Promoting mutual respect through education." The message has been sent routinely every year since 1967 by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, with the exception of 1991 when Blessed John Paul II chose to personally send this message to Muslims.

2. Publication of the letter in which the Holy Father appoints Cardinal Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino, archbishop of San Cristobal de La Habana, Cuba, as his special envoy to the closing ceremony of the first centenary of the elevation to metropolitan archdiocese of San Salvador and the erection of the diocese of Santa Ana and San Miguel, as well as the ceremony of the national Eucharistic Congress of El Salvador on 11 August.

6. Message for the 87th World Mission Day, to be celebrated on 20 October, shortly before the end of the Year of Faith. The Pope recalls those Christians in various parts of the world who struggle to profess their faith and to find recognition of their right to live with dignity, and wholeheartedly blesses missionaries and all those who accompany and support the Church's fundamental commitment to proclaiming the Gospel.

7. Francis sends a video message to participants in the feast of San Cayetano in Argentina, where the saint is the patron of "bread and work", asking that she might come to the assistance of the most needy.

8. Telegram of condolence for the victims of an explosion in a building in Rosario, Argentina.

9. Message to the Knights of Columbus on the occasion of their 131st International Convention, celebrated in San Antonio, Texas.

10. Letter to Cardinal Audrys Juozas Backis, archbishop of Vilnius, Lithuania, the Pope's special envoy to the celebration of the 1025th anniversary of the baptism of Rus, Ukraine.

17. Telegram of condolence to the archbishop of Cebu, Philippines, for the sinking of a ship in the town harbour, which claimed many lives and caused numerous casualties.

18. Message to the Meeting for Friendship between Peoples (Rimini, Italy, 18 to 24 August) dedicated this time to the theme "The Human Person: a State of Emergency." The Pope writes about the urgency of restoring man to himself and his dignity, the unique and precious nature of all human existence from conception to natural death, and states that the task of the Church and of every Christian is to serve the human person, searching among his most hidden social and spiritual meanderings.

29. The Holy Father sends a message to Archbishop Andrew Yeom Soo Jung of Seoul, Korea, on the occasion of the proclamation within the archdiocese of September as "Month of martyrs" to commemorate those who have borne witness to their faith in times of persecution.

30. Message to Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, in the hope that the 13th Inter-Christian Symposium (Milan, Italy, 28 to 30 August) might bear “abundant fruit”. The Symposium, on the theme "The life of Christians and civil power — historical questions and current perspectives in East and West", was organised by the Franciscan Institute of Spirituality at the Pontifical University Antonianum and the Department of Theology of the Orthodox Faculty of Theology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, in collaboration with the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart.

30.Telegram of condolence for the death of Cardinal Medardo Joseph Mazombwe, archbishop emeritus of Lusaka, Zambia.

AUDIENCES

13.The Pope receives in audience Archbishop Leo Cushley of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, Scotland.

24. Audience with the Reverend José María de Paola.

26. Audience with Cardinal Agostino Vallini, vicar general of His Holiness for the diocese of Rome.

27. The Pope receives in audience Cardinal Angelo Sodano, deacon of the College of Cardinals.

28. Audience with Fr. Fernando Vérgez Alzaga L.C., director of telecommunications of the Governorate of Vatican City State.

Audience with Msgr. Antoine Camilleri, under-secretary for Relations between States.

29. The Holy Father receives in audience His Majesty the King of Jordan, Abdallah II Ibn Al Hussein, and Queen Rania.

30. Audience with Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

The Pope receives in audience Fr. Carlo Casalone S.J., Provincial of the Society of Jesus for Italy, with members of the Carlo Maria Martini Foundation.

OTHER NEWS

8. Motu Proprio for preventing and countering money laundering, the financing of terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. It extends the application of related Vatican laws, strengthens the monitoring and regulatory function of the Financial Information Authority (AIF), and establishes the function of prudential oversight on the part of the agencies professionally involved in financial affairs such as the Financial Security Committee, in coordinating the relevant authorities of the Holy See and of Vatican City State.

13. The Pope receives in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace a delegation of the national football teams of Argentina and Italy on the occasion of the friendly match to be played in his honour the following day, 14 August, at the Olympic Stadium in Rome. Francis advises the players to regard sport as a gift from God and an opportunity for their talents to bear fruit, but also to be aware of their responsibility as role models for many people.

21. In the San Damaso courtyard of the Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father greets students and teachers from the Bunri Seibu Gakuen Junior High School College of Saitama, Tokyo, Japan, and underscores the value of dialogue as a proponent of peace.

28. At the Altar of the Chair of St. Peter, Francis addresses some words to five hundred young people of the Italian diocese of Piacenza-Bobbio, participants in the "Upon this rock" pilgrimage marking the Year of Faith, and invites them to aim for great ideals and not to fear to “swim against the tide”.

28. In the Roman Basilica of St. Augustine in Campo Marzio, Pope Francis celebrates Mass for the opening of the 184th Ordinary General Chapter of the Order of Saint Augustine. His homily is a reflection on Augustinian disquiet: the restlessness of spiritual seeking, inquietude of the meeting with God, the unrest of love.

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

3. Appointment of Archbishop Guido Pozzo, formerly almoner of His Holiness, as secretary of the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei". The Pope appoints as almoner of His Holiness Msgr. Konrad Krajewski, formerly Master of Papal Ceremonies, at the same time elevating him to the dignity of archbishop.

8.Resignation of Bishop Louis Sankalé from the pastoral care of the diocese of Nice, France, in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.

10. Archbishop Vincenzo Pelvi, military ordinary for Italy, resigns at age 65, in accordance with Italian law governing the service of spiritual assistance to the Armed Forces.

15. The Pope appoints Fr. Ibrahim Salameh M.S.P., formerly pastor of San Jorge in Rosario, Argentina, as apostolic exarch for the Greek-Melkite faithful living in Argentina, at the same time elevating him to the dignity of bishop.

Appointment of Reverend Benôit Gbemavo Goudote as apostolic administrator "sede vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis" of Dassa-Zoumé, Benin.

17. The Pope appoints Archbishop Jean Marie Speich as apostolic nuncio to Ghana and elevates him to the dignity of archbishop. Archbishop Speich was previously nunciature councillor in the Section for Foreign Affairs of the Secretariat of State.

Appointment of Cardinal Joachim Meisner, archbishop of Cologne, Germany, as the Holy Father's special envoy to the celebrations of the 750th anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone of the cathedral of Xanten, Germany, 13 October 2013.

23. The Reverend Jose Puthenveettil is elected auxiliary bishop of the archieparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly of the Syro-Malabars in India. He succeeds Archbishop Thomas Chakiath, who resigns in accordance with canon 210, paragraph 1 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches.

24. Bishop Giuseppe Sciacca, formerly secretary general of the Governorate of Vatican City, is appointed deputy registrar of the Supreme Court of the Apostolic Signatura.

The Pope appoints Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, as his special envoy to the celebration of the centenary of the archdiocese of Lille, France, from 26 to 27 October 2013.

30. Bishop José Luis Azuaje Ayala, previously bishop of El Vigia-San Carlos de Zula, Venezuela, is appointed bishop of Barinas, Venezuela. He succeeds Archbishop Ramon Antonio Linares Sandoval, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese upon reaching the age limit is accepted by the Holy Father. The Pope appoints Father Fernando Vérgez Alzaga LC, previously telecommunications director of the Governorate of Vatican City State, as secretary general of the Governorate of Vatican City State.

Appointment of Paolo Peruzzi as consultant to the Prefecture for Economic Affairs of the Holy See.

31. Cardinal Raffaele Farina S.D.B., archivist and librarian emeritus of the Holy Roman Church, is appointed as the Pope's special envoy to the celebrations of the first centenary of the founding of Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan, on 1 November 2013.