RELIGIONS AND PEACE AT THE HEART OF THE POPE'S AUDIENCES WITH ISRAELI EX-PRESIDENT SHIMON PERES AND PRINCE EL HASSAN BIN TALAL OF JORDAN

Vatican City, 4 September 2014 (VIS) – Peace and the role of religions formed the central theme of the Pope's meeting with the ex-president of the State of Israel, Shimon Peres. During their long discussion, lasting around 45 minutes, in which Peres presented to the Pontiff his plan to create a sort of United Nations for religions, based on the assumption that while in the past the majority of wars were motivated by the idea of nationhood, in the current world the trigger for conflicts is primarily the excuse of religion. The Holy Father listened attentively and with interest to the Israeli ex-president's proposal, and the discussion took place in a very cordial atmosphere.

Similarly, peace and religion were the key point in the Holy Father's meeting with Prince El Hassan Bin Talal, of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The prince, founder of the “Royal Institute for Interfaith Studies”, presented the centre's activity to the Pope, emphasising the common ground shared by religions and the possibilities of collaboration in activities of solidarity with the least fortunate in a globalised world. The meeting, again of a cordial nature, lasted around half an hour.

MEETING OF THE COUNCIL FOR THE ECONOMY

Vatican City, 4 September 2014 (VIS) – The Council for the Economy, instituted by the Holy Father on 24 February by the Motu proprio “Fidelis dispensator et prudens”, will meet today to discuss the statutes of this institution. During the meeting, which will conclude this afternoon, the Council will also discuss the transfer of competences from APSA (Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See) to the Secretariat for the Economy and the criteria for drawing up a budget balances system.

AUDIENCES

Vatican City, 4 September 2014 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father received in audience fifteen prelates from the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon, on their “ad limina” visit:

- Bishop Dieudonne Bogmis of Eseka;

- Bishop Dieudonne Espoir Atangana of Nkongsamba;

- Archbishop Antoine Ntalou of Garoua;

- Bishop Bruno Ateba Edo of Maroua-Mokolo, with Bishop emeritus Philippe Albert Joseph Stevens;

- Bishop Joseph Djida of Ngaoundere;

- Bishop Barthelemy Yaouda Hourgo of Yagoua;

- Bishop Jean-Marie Benoit Bala of Bafia, with Bishop emeritus Athanase Bala;

- Bishop Jean Mbarga of Ebolowa, apostolic administrator “ad Nutum Sanctae Sedis” of Yaounde, with Archbishop emeritus Simon-Victor Tonye Bakot of Yaounde;

- Bishop Adalbert Ndzana of Mbalmayo;

- Bishop Sosthene Leopold Bayemi Matjei of Obala, with Bishop emeritus Jerome Owono-Mimboe;

- Bishop Christophe Zoa of Sangmelima.

IN MEMORIAM

Vatican City, 4 September 2014 (VIS) – The following prelates died in recent weeks:

- Bishop Robert William Donnelly, auxiliary emeritus of Toledo, Ohio, USA, on 21 July at the age of 83.

- Bishop Pedro Luis Antonio, emeritus of Kwito-Bie, Angola on 25 July, at the age of 93.

- Bishop Spiridon Mattar, emeritus of Nossa Senhora do Paraiso em Sao Paulo of the Greek Melkites, Brazil, on 26 July at the age of 93.

- Cardinal Francesco Marchisano, president emeritus of the Labour Office of the Apostolic See, on 27 July at the age of 85.

- Cardinal Edward Bede Clancy, archbishop emeritus of Sydney, Australia, on 3 August at the age of 90.

- Archbishop Benedito de Ulhoa Vieira, emeritus of Uberaba, Brazil, on 3 August at the age of 93.

- Bishop Luciano Bux, emeritus of Oppido Mamertina-Palmi, Italy, on 8 August at the age of 78.

- Bishop Edmund John Patrick Collins, M.S.C, emeritus of Darwin, Australia, on 8 August at the age of 83.

- Archbishop Leonardo Zamora Legaspi, O.P., emeritus of Caceres, Philippines, on 8 August at the age of 78.

- Archbishop Armando Cirio, O.S.I. emeritus of Cascavel, Brazil, on 11 August at the age of 98.

- Bishop Morkos Hakim, O.F.M., emeritus of Sohag of the Copts, Egypt, on 11 August at the age of 83.

- Bishop Paul Nguyen Thanh Hoan, emeritus of Phan Thiet, Vietnam, on 18 August at the age of 74.

- Cardinal Edmund Casimir Szoka, president emeritus of the Governorate of Vatican City State, on 20 August at the age of 86.

- Bishop Ramon Echarren Isturiz, emeritus of the Canary Isles, Spain, on 25 August at the age of 84.

- Bishop John Joseph Nevins, emeritus of Venice, Florida, USA, on 26 August at the age of 82.

- Bishop Simon Akwali Okafor, emeritus of Awka, Nigeria, on 29 August at the age of 79.