BENEDICT XVI VISITS OFFICES OF THE "OSSERVATORE ROMANO"

VATICAN CITY, 5 JUL 2011 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father visited the headquarters of the "Osservatore Romano" newspaper, which is currently celebrating the 150th anniversary of its foundation. Its first edition appeared on 1 July 1861.

  The Pope greeted the director, vice director and journalists, congratulating them on the current anniversary. "By your daily work, out of sight and not without fatigue", he told them, "you create this unique form of communication which acts at the service of the ministry of Peter's Successor, making a specific contribution to the spread of the Gospel and the witness of truth. Indeed, by propagating the Pope's teaching, by providing information on his activities and those of the Roman Curia, and echoing Catholic life in the world, the 'Osservatore Romano' helps the faithful to consider contemporary issues in the light of the Word of Christ and the Magisterium of the Church, while remaining attentive to the signs of the times. In this perspective, the Holy See's newspaper is a vital resource, which needs to be increasingly understood and appreciated".

  "Dear friends, continue to work joyfully in the great of 'Areopagus' of modern communications, treasuring the long history of this eminent newspaper. The memory of the past is fruitful only if it becomes an occasion to draw nourishment from deep roots, and to look to the future with hope".

  The Holy Father concluded by encouraging those who work on the newspaper "not to forget that, although you certainly need appropriate technical and professional training in order to carry out the mission with which you have been entrusted, what is vital above all is that you incessantly cultivate a spirit of prayer, service and faithful adherence to the teachings of Christ and His Church".
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FORTHCOMING EXHIBITION OF THE VATICAN SECRET ARCHIVES

VATICAN CITY, 5 JUL 2011 (VIS) - At midday today in the Holy See Press Office, a press conference was held to present an exhibition entitled "'Lux in Arcana' - the Vatican Secret Archives unveiled". The exhibition will be inaugurated in Rome's Capitoline Museums in February 2012.

  Participating in today's conference were Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B.; Cardinal Raffaele Farina S.D.B., archivist and librarian of Holy Roman Church; Bishop Sergio Pagano B., prefect of the Vatican Secret Archives; Giovanni Alemanno, mayor of Rome; Dino Gasperini, Rome's local councillor for culture and the historical centre, and Umberto Broccoli, superintendent for the city's cultural heritage.

  Cardinal Bertone pointed out that "the inherent richness of this exhibition is amplified by the fact that it is being organised outside the Vatican, on the Capitol Hill which symbolically represents the 'heart' of Rome and its relationship with the papal city down the centuries. The challenge was to make the resources of the Vatican Secret Archives, with all their academic knowledge and experience, converge with those of the capital city, the Capitoline Museums and the office of the superintendent for archives and museums of the local authorities of Rome".

  For his part, Cardinal Farina explained that "ancient pontifical documents of great importance, as well as letters concerning significant aspects of the life of the Church in the world, will be leaving the Vatican for the first time and will be available to be viewed by visitors to the Capitol Hill, traditional headquarters of the government of Rome".

  Bishop Pagano noted that the exhibition "aims to throw light on the reality of this venerable institution (the Vatican Archives), on its nature, its contents and its activities. Hence the choice of theme as 'Lux in Arcana'".

  "Among the millions of documents held in the Vatican Secret Archives we have chosen around one hundred which illustrate the complexity of the overall holdings", said the bishop. These include "the 'Dictatus papae' of Gregory VII (1073-1085); Clement VII's letter to the English parliament on the matrimonial cause of Henry VIII (1530), and the codex of the trial of Galileo Galilei (1616-1633)".

  The exhibition, he explained, "thus offers the wider public its first chance to enter the reality of the Vatican Secret Archives. ... Modern technology will enable visitors to enter the Pope's archive and to understand the role it has played over the centuries at the service of the Holy See and the world of culture, preserving and handing down an enviable patrimony of knowledge".

  Finally the mayor of Rome highlighted how "the city of Rome, capital of Italy and see of the Roman Pontiff, is proud to host this event which, in some way, underlines the bond between the secular city and the religious city. ... It is a courageous gesture on the part of the Holy See to organise an exhibition at this level, at the same time agreeing to let these precious documents leave the Vatican. 'Lux Arcana' is an opportunity to recount to Romans and pilgrims the extraordinary adventure of man".
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BENEDICT XVI: SIXTY YEARS OF MEMORIES, GRATITUDE AND HOPE

VATICAN CITY, 2 JUL 2011 (VIS) - At the end of a luncheon today, offered by the College of Cardinals to the Pope to mark the sixtieth anniversary of his ordination as a priest, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College, congratulated the Holy Father and, in the name of all those present, gave him an offering for the poor of Rome, the Pope's own diocese, "in view", he said, "of the urgent needs of so many Romans, as well as of numerous immigrants and refugees".

  The Holy Father, having thanked the cardinals for their gift, made some remarks. "This is a moment of gratitude for the Lord's guidance; for everything He has given me and forgiven me over these years", he said. "Yet it is also a moment to remember. In 1951 the world was completely different: there was no television, there was no internet, there were no computers, there were no mobile phones. The world from which we come truly seems prehistoric. Above all, our cities were in ruins, the economy destroyed, there was great material and spiritual poverty. Yet there was also a great energy and a will to rebuild this country and to renew ... the community on the foundation of our faith".

  "Then came Vatican Council II where all the hopes we had seemed to come true. This was followed by the cultural revolution of 1968, difficult years during which the ship of the Lord appeared to be taking on water, almost about to sink. Nonetheless the Lord, Who seemed then to be sleeping, was present and He led us forward. Those were the unforgettable years in which I worked alongside Blessed Pope John Paul II. Finally, came the unexpected day of 19 April 2005 when the Lord called me to a new task and, only by virtue of His strength, abandoning myself to Him, was I able at that moment to say 'yes'.

  "Over these sixty years nearly everything has changed; but the Lord's faithfulness has remained", the Holy Father added in conclusion. "He is the same, yesterday, today and forever. This is our certainty, which shows us the way to the future. The time to remember, the time of gratitude, is also the time of hope".
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THE CHURCH: PEOPLE OF GOD, BODY OF CHRIST, COMMUNION

VATICAN CITY, 2 JUL 2011 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican, the Holy Father greeted faithful from the Italian diocese of Altamura-Gravina-Acquaviva delle Fonti, which is currently celebrating its diocesan synod. The group was accompanied by their bishop, Msgr. Mario Paciello.

  "A synod is an event which gives us concrete experience of being the 'People of God', of being Church, a pilgrim community travelling in history towards its eschatological fulfilment in God", said the Pope. "This means we must recognise that the Church does not of herself possess the vital principle: she depends on Christ, of Whom she is the effective sign and instrument. In her relationship with the Lord Jesus lies her deepest identity: that of being a gift of God to humankind, which prolongs the presence and salvific work of the Son through the Holy Spirit. In this perspective we can see that the Church is essentially a mystery of love at the service of humanity, with a view to its sanctification. ... Being Church has its source and its true meaning in the communion of love of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit: the Blessed Trinity is not only the model, but generates and moulds the Church as a mystery of communion".

  The Holy Father continued: "We must begin from this truth, always and anew, in order to achieve a more intense understanding and experience of being Church: 'People of God. 'Body of Christ', 'Communion'. Otherwise we run the risk of reducing things to a horizontal dimension which perverts the identity of the Church and the announcement of the faith. The Church is not a social or philanthropic organisation, like many others that exist: she is the Community of God, she is a community which believes and loves, which adores the Lord Jesus and opens her 'veils' at the breath of the Holy Spirit; thus she is a community capable of evangelisation".

  "Many men and women of our time need to encounter the Lord, or to rediscover the beauty of the God Who is close, the God Who in Jesus Christ reveals His face as Father and calls us to recognise the meaning and value of life. The current moment of history is marked by lights and shadows. We are witnessing complex forms of behaviour: closure, narcissism, desire to possess and consume, sentiments and affections divorced from responsibility. There are many reasons for this disorientation which finds expression in profound existential unease, but underlying everything is the negation of the transcendent dimension of man and of the basic relationship with God. For this reason its is vital for Christian communities to promote valid and compelling itineraries of faith".
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HOLY SEE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR 2010

VATICAN CITY, 2 JUL 2011 (VIS) - The Council of Cardinals for the Study of Organisational and Economic Problems of the Holy See met in the Vatican from 30 June to 1 July, under the presidency of Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B.

  A communique published today explains that the Holy See consolidated financial statements for 2010, presented to the cardinals during the meeting by Cardinal Velasio De Paolis C.S., president of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See, closed with a surplus of 9,848,124 euro, the difference between an income of 245,195,561 euro and outgoings of 235,347,437 euro.

  "The 2010 statement", reads the communique, "notwithstanding elements of uncertainty and instability due to the world economic-financial situation, would appear to reinforce the positive tendency that emerged in the financial year 2009 which, moreover, had already absorbed the negative effects deriving from the great financial crisis of 2008".

  The outgoings are due above all to the ordinary and extraordinary expenses of the dicasteries and offices of the Holy See, which in 2010 employed 2,806 people, as compared with the 2,762 employees in 2009.

  The meeting also examined the consolidated financial statements of the Governorate of Vatican City State for 2010, which show a surplus of 21,043,000 euro, the difference between an income of 255,890,112 euro and outgoings of 234,847,011 euro. "This result has been achieved", the communique explains, "thanks to the excellent performance of the Vatican Museums (in particular the increased number of visitors, a countertendency with respect to the crisis in the world tourism sector) and the recovery of the financial markets". A total of 1,876 people work under the jurisdiction of the Governorate.

  As usual the financial statements have been submitted for verification and certification.

  The communique highlights how "the Governorate, the administration of which is independent from the Holy See and from other institutions, supervises the economic requirements and territorial administration of the State, supplying the necessary support structures to the Apostolic See and its activities. In particular, the Governorate is responsible for the maintenance and conservation of what can rightly be considered as one of humanity's most important historical and artistic treasures".

  Finally the consolidated financial statements of Peter's Pence were also presented. This fund consists of offers made to the Holy Father by the particular Churches, especially for the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, and contributions by institutes of consecrated life, societies of apostolic life, foundations and various members of the faithful. In 2010 a total of 67,704,416 U.S. dollars was raised, a decrease with respect to last year. "The largest contributions came from Catholics in the United States, Italy and France. Particularly significant, considering the number of Catholics, were the contributions from Korea and Japan".

  Bishops, depending on their resources and in keeping with canon 1271 of the Code of Canon Law, donated 27,362,258 U.S. dollars, which also represents a decrease with respect to last year.

  The communique concludes by noting that the Institute for Works of Religion (IOR) donated some 55 million euros for the activities of the Holy Father.
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