VATICAN CITY, 12 MAY 2010 (VIS) - Early this morning the Pope left the apostolic nunciature in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon and travelled by helicopter to Fatima, a town of 8,000 inhabitants associated with the apparitions of the Virgin Mary to three shepherd children Jacinta, Francisco and Lucia in 1917. Jacinta and Francisco were beatified by John Paul II in Fatima in 2000.
The shrine was built on the site of the apparitions (an area known as "Cova de Iria") with an esplanade surrounded by various buildings, At the north end stands the basilica and to its left the "Capelinha", the Chapel of the Apparitions, which was built in 1919.
Before the image of the Virgin Mary in the Chapel of the Apparitions, Benedict read a prayer in which he recalled how Venerable John Paul II had visited Our Lady of Fatima on three occasions and given thanks for "the 'unseen hand' that rescued him from death in the assassination attempt on 13 May 1981".
" I thank you, beloved Mother, for the prayers and sacrifices that the shepherd children
of Fatima offered for the Pope, led by the sentiments that you inspired in them in the apparitions. I also thank all those who, every day, pray for the Successor of Peter and for his intentions, that the Pope may be strong in faith, bold in hope and zealous in love".
The Holy Father also presented a golden rose "brought from Rome as a homage of gratitude from the Pope for the marvels that the Almighty has worked through you in the hearts of so many who come as pilgrims to this your maternal home".
Benedict XVI then went to the Church of the Blessed Trinity, three hundred metres away, where he presided at Vespers with priests, religious, seminarians and deacons.
In his homily he expressed his own and the Church's recognition and gratitude "to all of you who have given your life to Christ. ... Thank you for your witness, often silent and certainly not easy; thank you for your fidelity to the Gospel and to the Church".
"The greatest concern of every Christian, especially of every consecrated person or minister of the altar, must be fidelity, loyalty to one's own vocation, as a disciple who wishes to follow the Lord. ... This evidently supposes true intimacy with Christ in prayer, since it is the powerful and intense experience of the Lord's love that brings priests and consecrated persons to respond to His love in way that is exclusive and spousal".
"There exists a deep solidarity among all the members of the Body of Christ", explained the Holy Father. "It is not possible to love Christ without loving His brothers and sisters. It was for their salvation that John Mary Vianney decided to become a priest", he said.
"It is important to assist one another with prayer, helpful advice and discernment! Be especially attentive to those situations where there is a certain weakening of priestly ideals or dedication to activities not fully consonant with what is proper for a minister of Jesus Christ".
"The priesthood of Christ is eternal, but the life of priests is limited. Christ has willed that others continue in time the priestly ministry that He instituted. Keep alive in your hearts, and in others around you, the desire to raise up - in co-operation with the grace of the Holy Spirit - new priestly vocations among the faithful".
Turning then to address seminarians, the Pope told them: "Carefully examine your intentions and your motivations. Devote yourselves with a steadfast heart and a generous spirit to your training. The Eucharist, which is the centre of Christian life and the school of humility and service, should be your first love".
Before the end of the ceremony, the Pope entrusted priests to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. "We are mindful that, without Jesus, we can do nothing good", he said, "and that only through Him, with Him and in Him, will we be instruments of salvation for the world.
"Bride of the Holy Spirit, obtain for us the inestimable gift of transformation in Christ. Through the same power of the Spirit that overshadowed you, making you the Mother of the Saviour, help us to bring Christ your Son to birth in ourselves too. May the Church be thus renewed by priests who are holy, priests transfigured by the grace of Him Who makes all things new".
"Help us, through your powerful intercession, never to fall short of this sublime vocation, nor to give way to our selfishness, to the allurements of the world and to the wiles of the Evil One".
"Mother of the Church, we priests want to be pastors who do not feed themselves but rather give themselves to God for their brethren, finding their happiness in this. Not only with words, but with our lives, we want to repeat humbly, day after day, our 'here I am'".
After Vespers the Holy Father dined at the nearby "Casa Nossa Senhora do Carmo", a centre for spiritual exercises which is part of the shrine complex.
PV-PORTUGAL/ VIS 20100513 (860)
Thursday, May 13, 2010
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
VATICAN CITY, 13 MAY 2010 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Hanoi, Vietnam, presented by Archbishop Joseph Ngo Quang Kiet, in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Archbishop Pierre Nguyen Van Nhon.
- Appointed Fr. Paul Nguyen Thai Hop O.P., professor of ethics and Church social doctrine at the Dominican study centre and various other religious institutes, and professor at the Ho Chi Minh Ville State University, as bishop of Vinh (area 30,594, population 6,090,000, Catholics 486,234, priests 166, religious 610), Vietnam. The bishop-elect was born in Lang Anh, Vietnam in 1945 and ordained a priest in 1972. He succeeds Bishop Paul-Marie Cao Dinh Thuyen M.S.C., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
RE:NER/ VIS 20100513 (160)
- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Hanoi, Vietnam, presented by Archbishop Joseph Ngo Quang Kiet, in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Archbishop Pierre Nguyen Van Nhon.
- Appointed Fr. Paul Nguyen Thai Hop O.P., professor of ethics and Church social doctrine at the Dominican study centre and various other religious institutes, and professor at the Ho Chi Minh Ville State University, as bishop of Vinh (area 30,594, population 6,090,000, Catholics 486,234, priests 166, religious 610), Vietnam. The bishop-elect was born in Lang Anh, Vietnam in 1945 and ordained a priest in 1972. He succeeds Bishop Paul-Marie Cao Dinh Thuyen M.S.C., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
RE:NER/ VIS 20100513 (160)
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
POPE REPLIES TO QUESTIONS FROM JOURNALISTS
VATICAN CITY, 11 MAY 2010 (VIS) - This morning during his flight to Portugal, the Holy Father responded - as he traditionally does on his flights abroad - to a number of questions put to him by the journalists accompanying him on the papal plane.
Answering a query about the current secularisation of Portugal, a once profoundly Catholic country, the Holy Father replied that Portugal "has carried the faith to all corners of the world; a courageous, intelligent and creative faith. ... The dialectic between secularism and faith in Portugal has a long history", he said, noting how "over centuries of discussion between enlightenment, secularism and faith, there has never been a lack of people who have sought to build bridges and create dialogue".
"I believe that the task and mission of Europe in this situation is to discover such dialogue, integrating faith and modern rationality into a single anthropological vision which completes the human being and thus also makes human cultures able to communicate with one another. Thus I would say that secularism is normal, but separation and contrast between secularism and the culture of faith is anomalous and must be overcome. The great challenge of the current time is for the two to meet and thus discover their true identity. This, as I have said, is a mission for Europe and the [great] human need of our own history".
Replying then to another question about the economic crisis, which some people believe could endanger the future of the European Union, Benedict XVI affirmed that "ethics are not something external, but inherent to rationality and economic pragmatism. ... Catholic faith, Christian faith, has often been too individualist, it left concrete and economic matters to the world and thought only of individual salvation", he said.
Yet "the entire tradition of the Church's social doctrine has sought ... to widen the ethical and faith-related dimension, over and above the individual, towards responsibility for the world, towards a rationality 'moulded' by ethics. Moreover, events on the markets over the last two or three years have shown that the ethical dimension is inherent and must become part of economic activity, because man is one, and what counts is ... a sound anthropology that embraces everything. Only in this way can the problem be resolved, only in this way can Europe accomplish its mission".
The third question put to the Pope concerned the significance of the apparitions of Fatima and whether the third secret, apart from referring to the shooting of John Paul II, also referred to the Church's suffering for the sexual abuse of minors.
"Apart from the great vision of the Pope's suffering, which we can primarily ascribe to Pope John Paul II", said Pope Benedict, the apparitions "indicate events of the future of the Church, which develop and are revealed little by little. Thus it is true that, apart from the moment indicated by the vision, we see the need for a passion of the Church, a passion naturally reflected in the person of the Pope, but the Pope stands for the Church and thus it is the sufferings of the Church that are being announced".
"As for the novelties we can discover in this message today", he went on, "we may see that attacks against the Pope and the Church do not only come from outside; rather, the sufferings of the Church come from inside the Church, from the sin that exists in the Church. This was always common knowledge, but today we see it in truly terrifying form: the greatest persecution of the Church does not come from external enemies, but is born of sin within the Church. Thus the Church has a profound need to relearn penance, to accept purification, to learn forgiveness but also the need for justice. Forgiveness does not replace justice".
ONLY CHRIST CAN SATISFY PROFOUND LONGINGS OF HUMAN HEART
VATICAN CITY, 11 MAY 2010 (VIS) - At 5.30 p.m. today the Holy Father travelled by popemobile from the apostolic nunciature in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon to the "Terreiro do Paco", the city's central square also known as "Praca do Comercio". There, before the beginning of the Eucharistic celebration in the presence of 200,000 faithful, the mayor handed him the keys of the city.
In his homily, the Pope recalled how "generations upon generations of Christians ... have journeyed forth" from Lisbon, and how "in all five continents there are local churches that owe their origin to Portuguese missionary activity.
"In times past", he added, "your departure in search of other peoples neither impeded nor severed your bonds with what you were and what you believed. On the contrary, with Christian wisdom you succeeded in transplanting experiences and characteristic elements, opening yourselves up to the contribution of others so as to be yourselves, through an apparent weakness which is actually strength. Today, as you play your part in building up the European Community, you offer the contribution of your cultural and religious identity".
"Christ is not two thousand years distant from us, but is really present among us: He gives us the Truth and He gives us the light which is our life and helps us find the path towards the future", said Benedict XVI. He is "present in His word, present in the assembly of the people of God with its pastors, and pre-eminently present in the Sacrament of His Body and Blood. Jesus is here with us".
Although the Church "has quarrelsome and even rebellious sons and daughters", said the Holy Father, "it is in the saints that she recognises her most characteristic features, it is in them that she tastes her deepest joy".
"This local Church has rightly concluded that today's pastoral priority is to make each Christian man and woman a radiant presence of the Gospel perspective in the midst of the world, in the family, in culture, in the economy, in politics. Often we are anxiously preoccupied with the social, cultural and political consequences of the faith, taking for granted that faith is present, which unfortunately is less and less realistic".
"In order for this not to happen, it is necessary to proclaim anew with vigour and joy the event of the death and resurrection of Christ, the heart of Christianity, the fulcrum and mainstay of our faith, the firm lever of our certainties, the strong wind that sweeps away all fear and indecision, all doubt and human calculation. The resurrection of Christ assures us that no adverse power will ever be able to destroy the Church.
"Therefore our faith is well-founded, but this faith needs to come alive in each one of us. ... Only Christ can fully satisfy the profound longings of every human heart and give answers to its most pressing questions concerning suffering, injustice and evil, concerning death and the life hereafter".
Benedict XVI went on to encourage the faithful never to doubt the presence of Christ. "Always seek the Lord Jesus, grow in friendship with Him, receive Him in communion. Learn to listen to His word and also to recognise Him in the poor. Live your lives with joy and enthusiasm, sure of His presence and of His unconditional, generous friendship, faithful even to death on the cross.
"Bear witness to all of the joy that His strong yet gentle presence evokes, starting with your contemporaries", he added in conclusion. "Tell them that it is beautiful to be a friend of Jesus and that it is well worth following Him. With your enthusiasm, demonstrate that, among all the different ways of life that the world today seems to offer us - apparently all on the same level - the only way in which we find the true meaning of life and hence true and lasting joy, is by following Jesus".
Before the end of Mass the Pope read out a brief message to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the foundation of the shrine of Christ the King at Almada, in the Portuguese diocese of Setubal. He took the opportunity "to point out to the younger generation the example of hope in God and fidelity to their vow, that the bishops and faithful Christians of that time left us in this sculpture, a sign of their love and gratitude for the preservation of peace in Portugal".
Benedict XVI then travelled back to the apostolic nunciature where he had dinner. Hearing the singing of a group of young people from various parishes and ecclesial movements who had gathered outside the building, the Holy Father emerged onto the balcony to greet and bless them.
PV-PORTUGAL/ VIS 20100512 (800)
In his homily, the Pope recalled how "generations upon generations of Christians ... have journeyed forth" from Lisbon, and how "in all five continents there are local churches that owe their origin to Portuguese missionary activity.
"In times past", he added, "your departure in search of other peoples neither impeded nor severed your bonds with what you were and what you believed. On the contrary, with Christian wisdom you succeeded in transplanting experiences and characteristic elements, opening yourselves up to the contribution of others so as to be yourselves, through an apparent weakness which is actually strength. Today, as you play your part in building up the European Community, you offer the contribution of your cultural and religious identity".
"Christ is not two thousand years distant from us, but is really present among us: He gives us the Truth and He gives us the light which is our life and helps us find the path towards the future", said Benedict XVI. He is "present in His word, present in the assembly of the people of God with its pastors, and pre-eminently present in the Sacrament of His Body and Blood. Jesus is here with us".
Although the Church "has quarrelsome and even rebellious sons and daughters", said the Holy Father, "it is in the saints that she recognises her most characteristic features, it is in them that she tastes her deepest joy".
"This local Church has rightly concluded that today's pastoral priority is to make each Christian man and woman a radiant presence of the Gospel perspective in the midst of the world, in the family, in culture, in the economy, in politics. Often we are anxiously preoccupied with the social, cultural and political consequences of the faith, taking for granted that faith is present, which unfortunately is less and less realistic".
"In order for this not to happen, it is necessary to proclaim anew with vigour and joy the event of the death and resurrection of Christ, the heart of Christianity, the fulcrum and mainstay of our faith, the firm lever of our certainties, the strong wind that sweeps away all fear and indecision, all doubt and human calculation. The resurrection of Christ assures us that no adverse power will ever be able to destroy the Church.
"Therefore our faith is well-founded, but this faith needs to come alive in each one of us. ... Only Christ can fully satisfy the profound longings of every human heart and give answers to its most pressing questions concerning suffering, injustice and evil, concerning death and the life hereafter".
Benedict XVI went on to encourage the faithful never to doubt the presence of Christ. "Always seek the Lord Jesus, grow in friendship with Him, receive Him in communion. Learn to listen to His word and also to recognise Him in the poor. Live your lives with joy and enthusiasm, sure of His presence and of His unconditional, generous friendship, faithful even to death on the cross.
"Bear witness to all of the joy that His strong yet gentle presence evokes, starting with your contemporaries", he added in conclusion. "Tell them that it is beautiful to be a friend of Jesus and that it is well worth following Him. With your enthusiasm, demonstrate that, among all the different ways of life that the world today seems to offer us - apparently all on the same level - the only way in which we find the true meaning of life and hence true and lasting joy, is by following Jesus".
Before the end of Mass the Pope read out a brief message to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the foundation of the shrine of Christ the King at Almada, in the Portuguese diocese of Setubal. He took the opportunity "to point out to the younger generation the example of hope in God and fidelity to their vow, that the bishops and faithful Christians of that time left us in this sculpture, a sign of their love and gratitude for the preservation of peace in Portugal".
Benedict XVI then travelled back to the apostolic nunciature where he had dinner. Hearing the singing of a group of young people from various parishes and ecclesial movements who had gathered outside the building, the Holy Father emerged onto the balcony to greet and bless them.
THE CHURCH MUST ALWAYS SEARCH FOR TRUTH
VATICAN CITY, 12 MAY 2010 (VIS) - This morning, having celebrated Mass in private, Benedict XVI travelled to the Belem cultural centre to meet with representatives from the world of culture. On arrival he was greeted by Bishop Manuel Clemente of Porto, president of the episcopal commission for culture, and by the film director Manoel do Oliveira, who addressed some words of welcome to the Pope.
In his own address the Holy Father affirmed how "culture today reveals a 'tension' which sometimes takes the form of a 'conflict' between the present and tradition". However, he went on, "emphasis on the 'present' as a source of inspiration for the meaning of life, both individual and social, clashes with the powerful cultural tradition of the Portuguese people, deeply marked by the millenary influence of Christianity and by a sense of global responsibility. This came to the fore in the adventure of the discoveries and in the missionary zeal which shared the gift of faith with other peoples".
"This 'conflict' between tradition and the present finds expression in the crisis of truth,", the Pope affirmed. "A people no longer conscious of its own truth ends up by being lost in the maze of time and history, deprived of clearly-defined values and lacking great and clearly-formulated goals". And he went on: "Fidelity to man requires fidelity to the truth, which alone is the guarantee of freedom and of the possibility of integral human development. For this reason the Church searches for truth, proclaims it tirelessly and recognises it wherever it is manifested. This mission of truth is something that the Church can never renounce
"For a society made up mainly of Catholics, and whose culture has been profoundly marked by Christianity, the search for truth apart from Christ proves dramatic", he added. "For Christians, Truth is divine; it is the eternal 'Logos' which found human expression in Jesus Christ. ... The Church, in her adherence to the eternal character of truth, is in the process of learning how to live with respect for other 'truths' and for the truth of others. Through this respect, open to dialogue, new doors can be opened to the transmission of truth".
"The Church must enter into dialogue with the world in which she lives", said Pope Benedict quoting Pope Paul VI. "Dialogue, without ambiguity and marked by respect for those taking part, is a priority in today's world, and the Church does not intend to withdraw from it. ... Given the reality of cultural diversity, people need not only to accept the existence of the culture of others, but also to aspire to be enriched by it and to offer to it whatever they possess that is good, true and beautiful".
"Point out new worlds to the world", said the Holy Father quoting the poet Luis de Camoes, author of 'Os Lusiades'. You who are "forgers of thought and opinion", he told his audience, "have the opportunity to speak to the heart of humanity, ... to broaden the horizons of knowledge and of human engagement. Do not be afraid ... to enter into dialogue with believers, with those who, like yourselves, consider that they are pilgrims in this world and in history towards infinite Beauty!".
He continued his address: "Precisely so as 'to place the modern world in contact with the life-giving and perennial energies of the Gospel', Vatican Council II was convened. There the Church, on the basis of a renewed awareness of the Catholic tradition, took seriously and discerned, transformed and overcame the fundamental critiques that gave rise to the modern world, the Reformation and the Enlightenment. ... The Council laid the foundation for an authentic Catholic renewal and for a new civilisation - 'the civilisation of love' - as an evangelical service to man and society".
"The Church", Benedict XVI concluded, "considers that her most important mission in today's culture is to keep alive the search for truth, and consequently for God; to bring people to look beyond penultimate realities and to seek those that are ultimate".
Following his meeting with representatives from the world of culture, the Holy Father went to the apostolic nunciature in Lisbon where he met Jose Socrates, prime minister of Portugal.
PV-PORTUGAL/ VIS 20100512 (710)
In his own address the Holy Father affirmed how "culture today reveals a 'tension' which sometimes takes the form of a 'conflict' between the present and tradition". However, he went on, "emphasis on the 'present' as a source of inspiration for the meaning of life, both individual and social, clashes with the powerful cultural tradition of the Portuguese people, deeply marked by the millenary influence of Christianity and by a sense of global responsibility. This came to the fore in the adventure of the discoveries and in the missionary zeal which shared the gift of faith with other peoples".
"This 'conflict' between tradition and the present finds expression in the crisis of truth,", the Pope affirmed. "A people no longer conscious of its own truth ends up by being lost in the maze of time and history, deprived of clearly-defined values and lacking great and clearly-formulated goals". And he went on: "Fidelity to man requires fidelity to the truth, which alone is the guarantee of freedom and of the possibility of integral human development. For this reason the Church searches for truth, proclaims it tirelessly and recognises it wherever it is manifested. This mission of truth is something that the Church can never renounce
"For a society made up mainly of Catholics, and whose culture has been profoundly marked by Christianity, the search for truth apart from Christ proves dramatic", he added. "For Christians, Truth is divine; it is the eternal 'Logos' which found human expression in Jesus Christ. ... The Church, in her adherence to the eternal character of truth, is in the process of learning how to live with respect for other 'truths' and for the truth of others. Through this respect, open to dialogue, new doors can be opened to the transmission of truth".
"The Church must enter into dialogue with the world in which she lives", said Pope Benedict quoting Pope Paul VI. "Dialogue, without ambiguity and marked by respect for those taking part, is a priority in today's world, and the Church does not intend to withdraw from it. ... Given the reality of cultural diversity, people need not only to accept the existence of the culture of others, but also to aspire to be enriched by it and to offer to it whatever they possess that is good, true and beautiful".
"Point out new worlds to the world", said the Holy Father quoting the poet Luis de Camoes, author of 'Os Lusiades'. You who are "forgers of thought and opinion", he told his audience, "have the opportunity to speak to the heart of humanity, ... to broaden the horizons of knowledge and of human engagement. Do not be afraid ... to enter into dialogue with believers, with those who, like yourselves, consider that they are pilgrims in this world and in history towards infinite Beauty!".
He continued his address: "Precisely so as 'to place the modern world in contact with the life-giving and perennial energies of the Gospel', Vatican Council II was convened. There the Church, on the basis of a renewed awareness of the Catholic tradition, took seriously and discerned, transformed and overcame the fundamental critiques that gave rise to the modern world, the Reformation and the Enlightenment. ... The Council laid the foundation for an authentic Catholic renewal and for a new civilisation - 'the civilisation of love' - as an evangelical service to man and society".
"The Church", Benedict XVI concluded, "considers that her most important mission in today's culture is to keep alive the search for truth, and consequently for God; to bring people to look beyond penultimate realities and to seek those that are ultimate".
Following his meeting with representatives from the world of culture, the Holy Father went to the apostolic nunciature in Lisbon where he met Jose Socrates, prime minister of Portugal.
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