GENERAL AUDIENCE: HOW CAN WE HAVE UNITY AMONG CHRISTIANS IF AS CATHOLICS WE AREN'T UNITED?

Vatican City, 19 June 2013 (VIS) - Pope Francis dedicated his catechesis of the Wednesday general audience to the expression “of the body” that the Second Vatican Council used to indicate the nature of the Church: the Church is the body of Christ. The Pope recalled the text of the conversion of Saul, who became Paul, in order to explain how the Apostle, with that experience, tells us how profound the union between Christians and Christ is.

“The image of the body helps us to understand this deep bond between Church and Christ, which St. Paul particularly developed,” the Pope said. “The Church … is a living body … and this body has a head, Jesus, who guides, nourishes, and sustains it. … [But], the same way that in a body it is important that the lifeblood courses for it to live, so must we allow Jesus to work in us, so that his Word might guide us, his Eucharistic presence might nourish and inspire us, and so that his love might give strength to our love for our neighbour.”

“In the Church, therefore,” the pontiff continued, “there is a variety, a diversity of tasks and functions. There is no dull uniformity but the richness of the gifts that the Holy Spirit distributes. There is communion and unity: all are in relation to one another and all combine to form a single vital body, profoundly connected to Christ. Let us remember this well: being part of the Church means being united to Christ and receiving from him the divine life that makes us to live as Christians. It means remaining united to the Pope and bishops who are instruments of unity and communion and it also means learning to overcome selfishness and divisions, to understand one another better, and to harmonize the variety and richness of each one. In a word, loving God and the persons around us, in our families, parishes, and associations, better. Body and limbs must be united in order to live!”

Speaking extemporaneously, the Holy Father added: “Unity is always greater than conflict. Conflicts, if they aren't resolved well, separate us from one another, separate us from God. Conflict can help us grow but it can also divide us. Let's not take the path of division and struggle between one another. All united, all united with our differences but always united: this is Jesus' path.”

“How much damage is caused to the Church by divisions among Christians, by being apart, by narrow interests! The divisions among us,” he continued, “but also the divisions between the communities: evangelical Christians, Orthodox Christians, Catholic Christians, why are we divided? We must try to bring unity. … We must pray together as Catholics and also with other Christians, must pray that the Lord grant us unity, unity between us. But how will we have unity among Christians if we aren't capable of having it among us Catholics? Of having it in our family? How many families fight and are divided! Seek unity, the unity that makes the Church. Unity comes from Jesus Christ. He sends us the Holy Spirit to create unity.”

FRANCIS: FACE OF CHRIST IS ETCHED IN REFUGEES. THE CHRISTIAN IS ONE WHO SAYS YES TO LIFE

Vatican City, 19 June 2013 (VIS) – After giving his catechesis at the general audience, the Holy Father spoke of World Refugee Day, which is commemorated on this day. This year the pontiff asked for “special consideration of the situation of refugee families who are often forced to quickly leave their home and homeland and who lose their every good and safety in order to flee from violence, persecution, or severe discrimination on religious grounds, or for belonging to a particular ethnic group, or for their political views.”

“In addition to the dangers of the journey, these families often find themselves at risk of being torn apart and, in the country that receives them, they have to deal with cultures and societies that are different from their own. We cannot be insensitive to these families or towards our refugee brothers and sisters. We are called to help them, opening ourselves to understanding and hospitality. May there be no lack of persons and institutions around the world to assist them. In their faces is etched the face of Christ!”

The Pope then recalled that last Sunday, as part of the Year of Faith, “we celebrated God who is Life and the source of life, Christ who gives us the divine life, and the Holy Spirit who keeps us in the vital relationship of true children of God. I wish to extend once more,” he added, “the invitation to receive and to proclaim the 'Gospel of life', to promote and defend life in all its dimensions and all its stages. The Christian is the one who says 'yes' to life, the one who says 'yes' to God, the Living One.”

ST. JOSEPH'S NAME ADDED TO EUCHARISTIC PRAYERS II, III, AND IV

Vatican City, 19 June 2013 (VIS) – Today, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments issued a decree, dated 1 May and signed by the prefect of that dicastery, Cardinal Antonio Canizares Llovera, which provides that, after the Blessed Virgin Mary, the name of her husband St. Joseph also be read in the Eucharistic Prayers II, III, and IV.

“The faithful in the Catholic Church,” reads the decree, “have shown continuous devotion to Saint Joseph and have solemnly and constantly honoured his memory as the most chaste spouse of the Mother of God and as the heavenly Patron of the universal Church. For this reason Blessed Pope John XXIII, in the days of the Most Holy Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, decreed that Saint Joseph’s name be added to the ancient Roman Canon. In response to petitions received from places throughout the world, the Supreme Pontiff Benedict XVI deemed them worthy of implementation and graciously approved them. The Supreme Pontiff Francis likewise has recently confirmed them. In this the pontiffs had before their eyes the full communion of the Saints who, once pilgrims in this world, now lead us to Christ and unite us with him.”

“As regards the Latin text, these formulas are hereby declared typical. The Congregation itself will soon provide vernacular translations in the more widespread western languages; as for other languages, translations are to be prepared by the Bishops’ Conferences, according to the norm of law, to be confirmed by the Holy See through this dicastery.”

In English, the formulas are:

In Eucharistic Prayer II:

that with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God,

with blessed Joseph, her Spouse,

with the blessed Apostles ...

In Eucharistic Prayer III:

with the most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God,

with blessed Joseph, her Spouse,

with your blessed Apostles and glorious Martyrs ...

In Eucharistic Prayer IV:

with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God,

with blessed Joseph, her Spouse,

and with your Apostles ...

HOLY SEE AT FAO: WE ARE ALL RESPONSIBLE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

Vatican City, 19 June 2013 (VIS) – Today, Archbishop Luigi Travaglino, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations Organisations for Food and Agriculture (FAO, IFAD, and WFP), spoke at the 38th session of the FAO Conference held in Rome from 15-22 June.

In his address, Archbishop Travaglino emphasized that the Delegation from the Holy See wanted to reiterate its appreciation of the FAO's actions in favour of development and guaranteeing food security, as well as to reaffirm its availability to sustain this work, which concerns a fundamental aspect of personal and communal life.

The prelate recalled that, in this particularly difficult moment for the global economy, the Delegation from the Holy See encourages all the parties concerned to further the implementation of the Organisation's programmes carried out in the various areas of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, especially in view of the objective of food security, which has become indispensable. It is therefore necessary to move from words to deeds, making the necessary resources available to the FAO.

At the same time, referring to the planning for the next biennium, he said that the Delegation from the Holy See hopes for a broadening of the forms of support to the artisanal activities and practices that constitute the basic economic reality for the majority of developing countries, which have in their monocultures, forest resources, exploitation of marine resources, or agricultural activities, an essential reference—unfortunately often the sole reference—for their economies and their food supply.

He also pointed out that the Holy See's reference to the sustainability of food supply systems cannot be limited to manufacturing techniques, the conservation of resources, or the exchange of information. “It appears to us that the approach of sustainability that is linked to the human person can help give meaning to the responsibility that each of us has towards future generations.”

IN MEMORIAM

Vatican City, 19 June 2013 (VIS) – The following prelates passed away between April and June of this year:

   - Bishop Celso Yegros Estigarribia, emeritus of Carapegua, Paraguay, on 6 April at the age of 77.

   - Archbishop François-Wolff Ligonde, emeritus of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on 8 April at the age of 85.

   - Bishop Luis Antonio Nova Rocha, of Facatativa, Colombia, on 9 April at the age of 69.

   - Cardinal Lorenzo Antonetti, president emeritus of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, on 10 April at the age of 90.

   - Bishop Bernhard Rieger, auxiliary emeritus of Rottenburg-Stuttgart, Germany, on 10 April at the age of 90.

   - Bishop Jaime Enrique Duque Correa, M.X.Y., of El Banco, Colombia, on 14 April at the age of 70.

   - Bishop Reinhard Lettmann, emeritus of Munster, Germany, on 16 April at the age of 80.

   - Bishop Martinus Petrus Maria Muskens, emeritus of Breda, Netherlands, on 16 April at the age of 77.

   - Bishop Peter Michael Chenaparampil, emeritus of Alleppey, India, on 18 April at the age of 83.

   - Bishop William Edward Murray, emeritus of Wollongong, Australia, on 21 April at the age of 93.

   - Bishop Jose de Jesus Castillo Rentería, M.N.M., emeritus of Tuxtepec, Oaxaca, Mexico, on 23 April at the age of 85.

   - Bishop Joseph Peter O’Connell, auxiliary emeritus of Melbourne, Australia, on 27 April at the age of 81.

   - Bishop Arthur Joseph O’Neill, emeritus of Rockford, Illinois, USA, on 27 April at the age of 95.

   - Bishop Julio Ojeda Pascual, O.F.M., vicar apostolic emeritus of San Ramon, Peru, on 28 April at the age of 81.

   - Bishop Pietro Garlato, emeritus of Tivoli, Italy, on 29 April at the age of 85.

   - Bishop Patrick Taval, M.S.C., of Kerema, Papua New Guinea, on 29 April at the age of 57.

   - Bishop Tito Buss, emeritus of Rio do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil, on 30 April at the age of 87.

   - Bishop Joseph Patrick McFadden, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA, on 2 May at the age of 65.

   - Bishop Severo Aparicio Quispe, O. de M., auxiliary emeritus of Cuzco, Peru, on 6 May at the age of 89.

   - Archbishop Andre Sana, emeritus of Kerkuk of the Chaldeans, Iraq, on 8 May at the age of 92.

   - Bishop Felix Ramananarivo, M.S., emeritus of Antsirabe, Madagascar, on 12 May at the age of 79.

   - Archbishop Dominic Kodwo Andoh, emeritus of Accra, Ghana, on 17 May at the age of 84.

   - Archbishop Michael Kpakala Francis, emeritus of Monrovia, Liberia, on 19 May at the age of 77.

   - Bishop Mykola Simkaylo, of Kolomyia-Chernivtsi of the Ukrainians, Ukraine, on 21 May at the age of 60.

   - Bishop Silverio Jarbas Paulo de Albuquerque, O.F.M., emeritus of Feira de Santana, Baia, Brazil, on 28 May at the age of 96.

   - Cardinal Stanislaw Kazimierz Nagy, S.C.I., cardinal deacon of Santa Maria della Scala, on 5 June at the age of 91.

   - Bishop Joseph Michael Sullivan, auxiliary emeritus of Brooklyn, New York, USA, on 7 June at the age of 83.

   - Bishop Olavio Lopez Duque, O.A.R., vicar apostolic emeritus of Casanare, Colombia at the age of 81.

   - Bishop Jose de Lima, emeritus of Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais, Brazil, on 12 June at the age of 89.

AUDIENCE

Vatican City, 19 June 2013 (VIS) – In the sitting room of the Paul VI Hall after the general audience, the Holy Father received participants in the meeting promoted by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue with the International Islamic Forum for Dialogue from Saudi Arabia.

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

Vatican City, 19 June 2013 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father:

   - appointed Fr. Jose Carlos Brandao Cabral as bishop of Almenara (area 15,738, population 192,800, Catholics 147,300, priests 18, religious 39), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Tupa, Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 1963 and was ordained a priest for the diocese of Limeira in 1993. Since ordination he has served in several pastoral, judicial, and diocesan-level roles, most recently, since 1993, as pastor of the “Menino Jesus” parish in the Diocese of Limeira, since 2005, as judge auditor of the Interdiocesan Ecclesiastic Tribunal and, since 2008, as diocesan chancellor. He succeeds Bishop Hugo Maria Van Steekelenburg, O.F.M., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

   - appointed Bishop Jose Carlos Chacorowski, C.M., as bishop of Caraguatatuba (area 1,992, population 292,000, Catholics 179,600, priests 21, permanent deacons 6, religious 53), Brazil. Bishop Chacorowski was previously auxiliary of Sao Luis do Maranhao, Maranho, Brazil, and titular of Casae Nigrae.

   - appointed Fr. Joseph Mopeli Sephamola, O.M.I., as bishop of Qacha’s Nek (area 11,500, population 400,000, Catholics 200,000, priests 22, religious 104), Lesotho. The bishop-elect was born in Tsoelike Ha Atlali, Lesotho, in 1960 and was ordained a priest in 1991. Since ordination, he has served as a missionary in Zambia, as a delegate for the Oblates in Rome and novitiate master in Quthing, Qacha's Nek, as a delegate for studies in Spirituality in South Africa, and, most recently, as provincial of the Oblate Fathers in Lesotho.