THE COMMUNION OF THE HOLY: TRUE CONSOLATION OF OUR FAITH

Vatican City, 30 October 2013 (VIS) - “The communion of the holy”, one of the most beautiful aspects of our faith, as it was defined by Pope Francis, was the theme of the catechesis of this Wednesday's general audience, which took place in St. Peter's Square and was attended by more than 80,000 people.

The communion of the holy consists of two related meanings: the communion of holy things and communion between holy people, and the Pope focused on the second, “one of the most consolatory aspects of our faith”. In fact, the term “holy” refers to those who believe in Jesus Christ and who are integrated with him in the Church by baptism”.

The relationship between Jesus and the Father is “the 'matrix' of the link between us as Christians: if we are intimately inserted in this 'matrix', in this ardent fire of love, then we can truly become one heart and one soul, because God's love burns away all our selfishness, our prejudices, our divisions, both internal and external. If we are thus rooted at the source of Love, which is God, we encounter a reciprocal movement: from brothers to God. The experience of fraternal communion leads me to communion with God. God's love burns away our sins”.

Francis moved on to consider the second aspect of the communion of the holy: faith needs the support of others, especially in difficult times, and asked, “Who among us has not experienced insecurity, disorientation, and even doubt along the path of faith? We have all experienced this; I have too, it forms part of the path of faith, the path of our lives. None of this should surprise us, because we are human beings, marked by our frailty and limits. However, in these difficult moments it is necessary to trust in the help of God, through filial prayer and, at the same time, it is important to find the courage and the humility to open ourselves to others. In this communion – because communion means common union – were are a great family, whose members all help and support one another”.

The third aspect of the communion of the holy “goes beyond earthly life, it goes beyond death and lasts forever. It is a spiritual communion, born at baptism, and it is not interrupted by death but, thanks to the risen Christ, is destined to find its full meaning in eternal life. There is a deep and indissoluble bond between those who are still pilgrims in this world, between us, and those blessed who have crossed the threshold of death to enter into eternity. All baptised persons here on earth, the souls in Purgatory and those who are already in paradise form a great and single family. This communion between heaven and earth is achieved above all through intercessory prayer. This communion is ours, it makes us brothers, it accompanies us on our path through life and it means that we meet again in heaven. Let us continue on this path, with joy!” concluded the Holy Father.

APPEAL FOR AN END TO THE VIOLENCE IN IRAQ

Vatican City, 30 October 2013 (VIS) – Following the catechesis of today's general audience, the Pope announced that he would greet a delegation of representatives of the various Iraqi religious groups, accompanied by Cardinal Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and who “constitute the wealth of the country”. He invited all present “to pray for the dear nation of Iraq, unfortunately stricken daily by tragic episodes of violence, so that she may find the way of reconciliation, peace, unity and stability”.

TENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES

Vatican City, 30 October 2013 (VIS) – The World Council of Churches (WCC) celebrates, from 30 October to 8 November, its tenth General Assembly in Busan, in the Republic of Korea, on the theme “God of Life, lead us to justice and peace”.

The Assembly, considered to be the most important management organ of the WCC, is convened every seven years and although the Catholic Church is not a member of the WCC, she collaborates with this organisation, participating in the theological research of the Commission on Faith and Constitution on the principal questions that continue to divide Christians, in the field of ecclesiology and, above all, through the “Mixed Working Group” which co-ordinates the various joint activities and initiatives. For this reason, the event will be attended by an official Catholic delegation in the role of accredited observers.

The Holy Father has sent a message to Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity in which he expresses his hope that “the present Assembly will help to consolidate the commitment of all Christ's followers to intensified prayer and co-operation in the service of the Gospel and the integral good of our human family”. He continued, “the globalized world in which we live demands of us a common witness to the God-given dignity of every human being and the effective promotion of the cultural, social and legal conditions which enable individuals and communities to grow in freedom, and which support the mission of the family as the fundamental building-block of society, ensure a sound and integral education for the young, and guarantee for all the untrammelled exercise of religious liberty. In fidelity to the Gospel, and in response to the urgent needs of the present time, we are called to reach out to those who find themselves in the existential peripheries of our societies and to show particular solidarity with the most vulnerable of our brothers and sisters: the poor, the disabled, the unborn and the sick, migrants and refugees, the elderly and the young who lack employment”.

“I pray”, concluded the Holy Father, “that the General Assembly will contribute to a new impulse of vitality and vision on the part of all committed to the sacred cause of Christian unity, in fidelity to the Lord’s will for his Church and in openness to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Upon all gathered in Busan I invoke the abundant blessings of Almighty God, source of all life and of every spiritual gift”.

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

Vatican City, 30 October 2013 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father appointed Rev. Richard Ng as bishop of Miri (area 42,000, population 600,000, Catholics 80,000, priests 16, religious 20), Malaysia. The bishop-elect was born in Kuching, Malaysia in 1966 and was ordained a priest in 1995. He holds a licentiate in sacred scriptures from the Biblicum, Rome, and has served in a number of roles, including parish vicar of the cathedral of Kuching, lecturer in sacred scriptures in the major seminary of Kuching, and director of the archdiocesan Commission for Social Communications. He is currently rector of the major seminary of Kuching. He succeeds Bishop Anthony Lee Kok Hin, whose resignation upon having reached the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.