Memorandum of understanding between the Holy See and Italy for the protection of Rome's historic city centre

Vatican City, 26 November 2015 (VIS) – Today in the in the Palace of the Governorate, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Governorate of Vatican City State and the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism of the Italian Republic on cooperation in the protection and enhancement of cross-border UNESCO site, the “Historic centre of Rome, the extraterritorial properties of the Holy See in the city and St. Paul Outside-the-Walls”, registered in the World Heritage List.

The Memorandum was signed on behalf of the Holy See by Bishop Fernando Vergez Alzaga, L.C., general secretary of the Governorate of Vatican City State, and for the Italian Republic by Antonia Pasqua Recchia, general secretary of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism.

Given that the cross-border site, “Historic centre of Rome, the extraterritorial properties of the Holy See in the city and St. Paul Outside-the-Walls” necessarily involves both Italy and the Holy See, each in accordance with its own jurisdiction, the Memorandum of Understanding, notwithstanding reciprocal competences and in compliance with its legislation, the Parties undertake to continue their cooperation in the protection and enhancement of the site, as well as the conservation of its exceptional universal value, as established in the Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage, and the related guidelines.

To reach these objectives, this agreement also institutes a permanent body for mutual cooperation, the “Cross-Border Coordination Group”, to whom the competences of coordination, monitoring, information and the enhancement of the site are conferred.

The Pope greets victims of domestic violence and human trafficking, before commencing his eleventh apostolic trip

Vatican City, 25 November 2015 (VIS) – This morning the Holy Father departed for Kenya, Uganda and the Central African Republic, on the eleventh apostolic trip of his papacy.

At 7.15 a.m., before leaving for Rome's Fiumicino airport, he received in the Domus Sanctae Marthae eleven women and six children from a Refuge House for victims of domestic violence and trafficking for the purposes of prostitution, according to the Apostolic Almoner. The women were Italian, Nigerian, Romanian and Ukrainian, and are housed in a structure managed by a religious congregation in a village in the Lazio region.

Following the audience, the Pope travelled by car to Fiumicino where he departed for Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, where he is expected to arrive shortly after 3 p.m. (Rome), 5 p.m. local time. He will be received by the president of the Republic, Uhuru Kenyatta, and by the cardinal archbishop of Nairobi John Njue, along with the president of the Episcopal Conference Bishop Philip A. Anyolo and other representatives of the episcopate.

He will then transfer to the State House of Nairobi, where the welcome ceremony and courtesy visit to President Uhuru Kenyatta will take place. Subsequently, in the garden of the State House, he will meet with the authorities and the diplomatic corps, along with other figures from the political, economic and cultural spheres, after which he will pronounce his first discourse on African soil.

Cardinal Lopez Rodriguez, Pope's special envoy to Cumana

Vatican City, 25 November 2015 (VIS) – In a letter published today, written in Latin and dated 9 November, the Holy Father appoints Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez, archbishop of Santo Domingo, as his special envoy to the celebration of the fifth centenary of Cumana, Venezuela, the birthplace of the evangelisation of South America, to be held on 27 November.

Other Pontifical Acts

Vatican City, 25 November 2015 (VIS) – The Holy Father has:

- accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Nazare, Brazil, presented by Bishop Severino Vatista de Franca, O.F.M. Cap., in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.

- accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Campanha, Brazil, presented by Bishop Diamantino Prata de Carvalho, O.F.M., upon reaching the age limit. He is succeeded by Bishop Pedro Cunha Cruz, coadjutor of the same diocese.

- appointed Bishop Edmar Paron, auxiliary of the archdiocese of Sao Paulo, Brazil, as bishop of Paranagua (area 11,537, population 507,000, Catholics 391,000, priests 29, deacons 1, religious 42), Brazil.

- appointed Msgr. Roberto Filippini as bishop of Pescia (area 224, population 121,637, Catholics 112,920, priests 67, deacons 8, religious 80), Italy. The bishop-elect was born in 1948 in Vinci, Italy, and was ordained a priest in 1973. He holds a licentiate in scripture, and has served as parish priest, diocesan vicar, head of the inter-diocesan school of theology in Camaiore, Lucca, and rector of the “Santa Caterina” archiepiscopal seminary in Pisa. He is currently spiritual father of the same “Santa Caterina” seminary and chaplain of the prison of Pisa.

The Pope meets the Board of Directors of the IOR and appoints a new Director

Vatican City, 24 November 2015 (VIS) – This morning, at around 10.30, the Holy Father visited the premises of the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR) where he spoke with the Board of Directors for approximately twenty minutes, during which he communicated the appointment of the new Director general, Dr. Gian Franco Mammi, to be assisted by Dr. Giulio Mattietti pending the selection of a new Deputy Director.