OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

Vatican City, 14 July 2013 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father appointed Msgr. Alfredo Enrique Torres Rondon, of the clergy of Merida, as auxiliary bishop of Merida (area 8,105, population 685,000, Catholics 616,000, priests 129, permanent deacons 18, religious 289), Venezuela. The bishop-elect was born in Maracaibo in 1950 and was ordained a priest in 1976. He holds a licentiate in moral theology from the Alphonsianium Academy, Rome, and has served in a number of pastoral roles, including rector of the minor seminary “San Buenaventura” in Merida; priest in the parishes of Macuchachi, San Rafael of Mucuchies, Nuestra Senora del Carmen in Santa Cruz de Mora, Nuestra Senora del Carmen in Montalban de Ejidio, San Juan Batista in Milla, San Miguel Arcangel de El Llano in Merida; director of family pastoral care for the archdiocese, and vicar general of the archdiocese. He has also been a member of the Venezuela Plenary Council and assessor for the Venezuelan Eucharistic Congress. He succeeds Bishop Luis Alfonso Marquez Molina, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

On Saturday, 13 July, the Holy Father:

- appointed Bishop Giuseppe Fiorini Morosini, O.M., as metropolian archbishop of Reggio Calabria-Bova (area 1,004, population 285,000, Catholics 281,000, priests 185, permanent deacons 43, religious 397), Italy. Bishop Fiorini Morosini, previously bishop of Locri-Gerace, Italy, was born in Paola, Italy in 1945, was ordained to the priesthood in 1969, and received episcopal ordination in 2008. He succeeds Archbishop Vittorio Luigi Mondello, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- appointed Msgr. Robert Llanos as auxiliary bishop of Port of Spain (area , population , Catholics , priests , permanent deacons , religious ), Trinidad and Tobago. The bishop-elect was born in Trinidad in 1958 and was ordained a priest in 1991. Previously a bank employee, he completed his studies in philosophy and theology at the regional major seminary of Port of Spain and has a licentiate in pastoral counselling from the Loyola University, Maryland, U.S.A. He has served in a number of pastoral roles, such as parish priest in Gran Couva, Princess Town and Carneage, teacher and vice-rector at the regional major seminary of Port of Spain, vicar for the Pastoral of the Family, and psychological advisor for priests, religious and laity of the archdiocese. He is currently vicar general of the archdiocese of Port of Spain.

- appointed Msgr. Damian Bryl as auxiliary bishop of Poznan (area 9,000, population 1,507,000, Catholics 1,487,000, priests 1018, religious 1,516), Poland. The bishop-elect was born in Jarocin, Poland in 1969 and was ordained a priest in 1994. He holds a doctorate in moral theology from the University of Navarra. He has served in a number of roles, such as chief editor of the monthly magazine “Katecheta”, adjunct professor at the “Adam Mickiewicz” University of Poznan, and editor of the scientific magazine “Teologia e Moralnosc”. He is currently spiritual director of the major seminary in Poznan, president of the Association of Spiritual Fathers in Poland, member of the archdiocesan council for the formation of priests and the archdiocesan pastoral Commission.

VATICAN PROMOTOR OF JUSTICE FREEZES FUNDS AT IOR ATTRIBUTED TO NUNZIO SCARANO

Vatican City, 12 July 2013 (VIS) – The director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J., gave the following update this morning regarding the ongoing investigations into the case of Msgr. Nunzio Scarano by the competent authorities. Msgr. Scarano was the director of the accounting analysis service of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA) and was arrested at the end of June by Italian authorities in the context of a corruption and fraud investigation.

“By court order on the 9th of July, the Vatican Promoter of Justice has frozen funds at the IOR attributed to suspended Vatican employee Nunzio Scarano as part of an ongoing investigation by the Vatican judicial authorities. The investigation was triggered by several suspicious transaction reports filed with AIF and could be extended to additional individuals.

“IOR commissioned an objective review by Promontory Financial Group of the facts and circumstances of the accounts in question and is fully cooperating with the Vatican Financial Intelligence Unit AIF and judicial authorities to bring full transparency in this matter.

“The IOR is currently undergoing an outside review by Promontory Financial Group of all client relationships and the anti-money-laundering procedures it has in place. In parallel, the Institute is implementing appropriate improvements to its structures and procedures. This process was initiated in May 2013 and is expected to be largely concluded by the end of 2013. Over the past weeks, the IOR nominated a Chief Risk Officer at Directorate level with a specific brief to focus on compliance, and introduced measures to substantially strengthen the reporting system.

“As President Ernst von Freyberg recently pointed out, the IOR is systematically identifying and will have zero tolerance for any activity, whether conducted by laity or clergy, that is illegal or outside the Statutes of the Institute.”

MESSAGE FOR SEA SUNDAY: RAISE AWARENESS OF THE WORKING CONDITIONS OF THOUSANDS OF SEAFARERS

Vatican City, 12 July 2013 (VIS) - “Sea Sunday” will be celebrated on 14 July and to mark the occasion the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples has released a message signed by the president of the dicastery, Cardinal Antonio Maria Veglio ,and the secretary, Archbishop Joseph Kalathiparambil, published in full below:

“'This world of the sea, with the continuous migration of people today, must take into account the complex effects of globalization and, unfortunately, must come to grips with situations of injustice, especially when the freedom of a ship’s crew to go ashore is restricted, when they are abandoned altogether along with the vessels on which they work, when they risk piracy at sea and the damage of illegal fishing. The vulnerability of seafarers, fishermen and sailors calls for an even more attentive solicitude on the Church’s part and should stimulate the motherly care that, through you, she expresses to all those whom you meet in ports and on ships or whom you help on board during those long months at sea'. These words were addressed by Pope Benedict XVI to the participants of the XXIII AOS Congress held in the Vatican City, November 19-23, 2012. As a matter of fact, for more than 90 years the Catholic Church, through the Work of the Apostleship of the Sea with its network of chaplains and volunteers in more than 260 ports of the world, has shown her motherly care by providing spiritual and material welfare to seafarers, fishers and their families.

“As we celebrate Sea Sunday, we would like to invite every member of our Christian communities to become aware and recognize the work of an estimated 1.2 to 1.5 million seafarers who at any time are sailing in a globalized worldwide fleet of 100,000 ships carrying 90 per cent of the manufactured goods. Very often, we do not realize that the majority of the objects we use in our daily life are transported by ships criss-crossing the oceans. Multinational crews experience complex living and working conditions on board, months away from their loved ones, abandonment in foreign ports without salaries, criminalization and natural (storms, typhoons, etc.) and human (pirates, shipwreck, etc.) calamities.

“Now a beacon of hope is beaming in the dark night of these problems and difficulties encountered by the seafarers.

“The ILO Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC 2006), after being ratified by 30 Member countries of the International Labour Office, representing almost 60 per cent of the world’s gross shipping tonnage, is set to enter into force in August 2013. This Convention is the result of several years of relentless tripartite (governments, employers and workers) discussions to consolidate and update a great number of maritime labour Conventions and Recommendations adopted since 1920.

“The MLC 2006 establishes the minimum international requirements for almost every aspect of seafarers’ working and living conditions, including fair terms of employment, medical care, social security protection and access to shore-based welfare facilities.

“While, as AOS, we are welcoming the entering into force of the Convention and confidently hope to see improvements on the life of the seafarers, we remain vigilant and express our attentive solicitude by focusing our consideration on the Regulation 4.4 of the Convention, the purpose of which is to: ensure that seafarers working on board a ship have access to shore-based facilities and services to secure their health and well-being.

“We should cooperate with the proper authorities in our respective ports so that shore leave be granted to all seafarers as soon as possible after a ship’s arrival in port, for the benefit of their health and well-being.

“We should remind port states to promote the development of shore-based welfare facilities easily accessible to seafarers, irrespective of nationality, race, colour, sex, religion, political opinion, or social origin and of the flag state on which they are employed.

“We should assist the proper authorities in establishing national and local welfare boards that would serve as a channel for improving seafarer’s welfare at ports, bringing together people from different types of organization under one identity.

“We should also encourage the port authorities to introduce, aside from other forms of financing, a port levy system to provide a reliable mechanism to support sustainable welfare services in the port.

“Our final responsibility is towards the seafarers. We should provide them information and education about theirs rights and the protection offered by this Convention, which is also considered the fourth and final pillar of the international maritime legislation, the other three being the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) 1973, the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974, and the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) 1978. Effective implementation will be possible and real changes will happen only if the people of the sea are aware of the content of the MLC 2006.

“Let us ask Mary, the Star of the Sea, to enlighten and accompany our mission to support the work of the faithful who are called to witness to their Christian life in the maritime world.”

MOTU PROPRIO ON THE JURISDICTION OF JUDICIAL AUTHORITIES OF VATICAN CITY STATE IN CRIMINAL MATTERS

Vatican City, 11 July 2013 (VIS) – Pope Francis' apostolic letter issued Motu proprio on the jurisdiction of the judicial authorities of Vatican City State in criminal matters was published this morning. The full text is given below:

“In our times, the common good is increasingly threatened by transnational organized crime, the improper use of the markets and of the economy, as well as by terrorism.

It is therefore necessary for the international community to adopt adequate legal instruments to prevent and counter criminal activities, by promoting international judicial cooperation on criminal matters.

In ratifying numerous international conventions in these areas, and acting also on behalf of Vatican City State, the Holy See has constantly maintained that such agreements are effective means to prevent criminal activities that threaten human dignity, the common good and peace.

With a view to renewing the Apostolic See’s commitment to cooperate to these ends, by means of this Apostolic Letter issued Motu Proprio, I establish that:

1. The competent Judicial Authorities of Vatican City State shall also exercise penal jurisdiction over:

a) crimes committed against the security, the fundamental interests or the patrimony of the Holy See;

b) crimes referred to:

- in Vatican City State Law No. VIII, of 11 July 2013, containing Supplementary Norms on Criminal Law Matters;

- in Vatican City State Law No. IX, of 11 July 2013, containing Amendments to the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code;

when such crimes are committed by the persons referred to in paragraph 3 below, in the exercise of their functions;

c) any other crime whose prosecution is required by an international agreement ratified by the Holy See, if the perpetrator is physically present in the territory of Vatican City State and has not been extradited.

2. The crimes referred to in paragraph 1 are to be judged pursuant to the criminal law in force in Vatican City State at the time of their commission, without prejudice to the general principles of the legal system on the temporal application of criminal laws.

3. For the purposes of Vatican criminal law, the following persons are deemed 'public officials':

a) members, officials and personnel of the various organs of the Roman Curia and of the Institutions connected to it.

b) papal legates and diplomatic personnel of the Holy See.

c) those persons who serve as representatives, managers or directors, as well as persons who even de facto manage or exercise control over the entities directly dependent on the Holy See and listed in the registry of canonical juridical persons kept by the Governorate of Vatican City State;

d) any other person holding an administrative or judicial mandate in the Holy See, permanent or temporary, paid or unpaid, irrespective of that person’s seniority.

4. The jurisdiction referred to in paragraph 1 comprises also the administrative liability of juridical persons arising from crimes, as regulated by Vatican City State laws.

5. When the same matters are prosecuted in other States, the provisions in force in Vatican City State on concurrent jurisdiction shall apply.

6. The content of article 23 of Law No. CXIX of 21 November 1987, which approves the Judicial Order of Vatican City State remains in force.

This I decide and establish, anything to the contrary notwithstanding.

I establish that this Apostolic Letter issued Motu Proprio will be promulgated by its publication in L’Osservatore Romano, entering into force on 1 September 2013”.

NEW LAWS AIM TO MODERNISE VATICAN LEGAL SYSTEM

Vatican City, 11 July 2013 (VIS) – The Holy See Press Office has today published the following communique regarding Pope Francis' Motu Proprio on matters of criminal law in Vatican City State:

“Today His Holiness Pope Francis has issued a Motu proprio on criminal law matters. On this same date, the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State has adopted the following laws: Law No. VIII containing Supplementary Norms on Criminal Law Matters, Law No. IX containing Amendments to the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code, Law No. X containing General Provisions on Administrative Sanctions.

“The Motu proprio makes the criminal laws adopted by the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State applicable also within the Holy See. The criminal laws adopted today are a continuation of the efforts to update Vatican City State’s legal system, building upon the measures adopted since 2010 during the pontificate of Benedict XVI.

“These laws, however, have a broader scope, since they incorporate into the Vatican legal system the provisions of numerous international conventions including: the four Geneva Conventions of 1949, on the conduct of war and war crimes; the 1965 Convention on the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination; the 1984 Convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the 1989 Convention on the rights of the child and its optional protocols of 2000.

“Of particular note in this context is the introduction of the crime of torture and a broader definition of the category of crimes against minors (including: the sale of children, child prostitution, the recruitment of children, sexual violence and sexual acts with children, and the production and possession of child pornography).

“A section of the legislation introduces a list of crimes against humanity, in particular, the crimes of genocide and apartheid, following broadly the definitions adopted in the 1998 Statute of the International Criminal Court. The section of the Criminal Code regarding offences committed in the exercise of public administration has also been revised in light of the 2003 United Nations Convention against corruption. With regard to penalties, that of life imprisonment has been abolished and it has been replaced with a maximum penalty of 30 to 35 years of imprisonment.

“In line with the most recent developments at the international level, the new legislation also introduces a system of penalties for juridical persons who profit from the criminal activities of their constituent bodies or personnel, establishing their direct liability and providing as penalties a set of interdictions and pecuniary sanctions.

“In the area of criminal procedure, the general principles of presumption of innocence and due process within a reasonable time have been recognized explicitly, while the power of the judicial authorities to adopt precautionary measures has been increased by bringing up to date the provisions for confiscation and the freezing of assets.

“Also of importance is the modernization of the rather dated norms governing international judicial cooperation, with the adoption of measures in line with the standards of the most recent international conventions.

“The law on administrative sanctions is of a general nature so as to serve as a common framework that provides for the possibility of sanctions in different areas intended to promote respect for the norms, to render them effective and to protect the public interests”.

The communique concludes, “As a whole, these normative efforts form part of broader process aimed at modernizing further the Vatican legal system with a view to enhancing its consistency and effectiveness”.