OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JAN 3, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

 - Appointed Fr. Angelo Pignoli of the clergy of the diocese of Franca, Brazil, diocesan coordinator of pastoral care and pastor of the parish of "Sant'Ana," as bishop of Quixada (area 15,134, population 294,125, Catholics 263,900, priests 40, religious 98), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Cappella Picenardi, Italy in 1946 and ordained a priest in 1976. He succeeds Bishop Adelio Giuseppe Tomasin P.S.D.P., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese, the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

 - Appointed Fr. Joao Bosco Barbosa de Sousa O.F.M., pastor of the parish of "Sao Francisco de Assis," in the archdiocese of Sao Paulo, Brazil, as bishop of Uniao da Vitoria (area 10,000, population 286,000, Catholics 246,000, priests 39, permanent deacons 12, religious 72), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Guaratingueta, Brazil in 1952 and ordained a priest in 1978. He succeeds Bishop Walter Michael Ebejer O.P., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese, the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

 - Appointed Fr. Messias dos Reis Silveira of the clergy of the diocese of Guaxupe, Brazil, pastor of the diocesan cathedral "Nossa Senhora das Dores," as bishop of Uruacu (area 43,''', population 354,000, Catholics 302,000, priests 38, religious 36), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Passos, Brazil in 1958 and ordained a priest in 1992. He succeeds Bishop Jose da Silva Chaves, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese, the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

 - Appointed Bishop Rene-Marie Ehuzu C.I.M., of Abomey, Benin, as bishop of Porto Novo (area 4,545, population 1,180,015, Catholics 376,050, priests 61, religious 109), Benin.

 - Appointed as members of the Congregation for Bishops, Archbishops Giovanni Marra, emeritus of Messina-Lipari-Santa Lucia del Mela, Italy, and Giorgio Zur, apostolic nuncio.
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OPENING OUR HEARTS AND MINDS TO CHRIST

VATICAN CITY, JAN 3, 2007 (VIS) - In his first general audience of this year, held this morning in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall, the Pope pointed out how the atmosphere of Christmas "invites us to rejoice for the birth of the Redeemer."

  "Those who pause in meditation before the Son of God lying defenseless in the manger cannot but marvel at this humanly incredible event; they cannot but share the wonder and the humble abandonment of the Virgin Mary, whom God chose as the Mother of the Redeemer precisely because of her humility.

  "In the Child of Bethlehem," the Holy Father added, "all mankind discovers itself to be gratuitously loved by God. In the light of Christmas, the infinite goodness of God is made plain to each of us. In Jesus, the heavenly Father inaugurated a new relationship with us: He made us 'sons in the Son'."

  "However, the joy of Christmas does not make us forget the mystery of evil (mysterium iniquitatis), the power of the dark that seeks to obscure the splendor of divine light, and unfortunately we experience this power of darkness every day. ... This is the drama of the rejection of Christ which, today as in the past, shows and expresses itself in many different ways." Indeed, "perhaps the ways of refusing God in the modern age are even more insidious and dangerous: from outright rejection to indifference, from scientistic atheism to the presentation of a modernized or post-modernized Jesus, a human Jesus, reduced in various ways to being a simple man of His time and deprived of His divinity; or perhaps a Jesus so idealized as to appear as a character of legend."

  Yet, Pope Benedict said, "only the Child lying in the manger possesses the real secret of life. For this reason He asks for acceptance, for space to be made for Him among us, in our hearts, in our houses, in our cities and in our societies," In this "we are helped by the simplicity of the shepherds and the quest of the Magi, who through the star scrutinized the signs of God, [and by] the docility of Mary and the prudent wisdom of Joseph."

  "At the beginning of this new year, let us reawaken our commitment to open our minds and hearts to Christ, sincerely demonstrating to Him our will to live as His true friends. Thus will we become collaborators in His plan of salvation and witnesses of the joy He brings, that we may spread it abundantly about us. ... Let us accompany Jesus, walk with Him, and thus the new year will be happy and good."
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NOTICE

VATICAN CITY, JAN 2, 2007 (VIS) - During the year 2007, the VIS bulletin will be transmitted every week from Monday to Friday, except on the following days:

March 19 (Monday)

April 5 (Holy Thursday)
April 6 (Good Friday)
April 9 (Easter Monday)
April 10 (Tuesday)
April 19 (Thursday)

May 1 (Tuesday)
May 17 (Thursday)

June 7 (Thursday)
June 29 (Friday)

The entire month of August

November 1 (Thursday)
November 2 (Friday)

December 24 (Monday)
December 25 (Tuesday)
December 26 (Wednesday)
December 27 (Thursday)
December 30 (Monday)
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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JAN 2, 2007 (VIS) - Major Archbishop Cyril Mar Baselios Malancharuvil O.I.C. of Trivandrum of the Syro-Malankars, India, with the consent of the Synod of Bishops and after having consulted the Apostolic See, erected, in accordance with canon 85, para. 1, of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, the eparchy of Mavelikara of the Syro-Malankars (population 2,998,325, Catholics 30,825, priests 75, religious 105), India, with territory taken from Trivandrum of the Syro-Malankars, making it a suffragan of the same metropolitan archieparchy.

  Major Archbishop Cyril Mar Baselios Malancharuvil O.I.C. of Trivandrum of the Syro-Malankars, with the consent of the Synod of Bishops and after having consulted the Apostolic See, transferred, in accordance with canon 85, para. 2, of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, Bishop Joshuah Mar Ignathios Kizhakkeveettil, auxiliary of Trivandrum of the Syro-Malankars, to the office of first bishop of Mavelikara of the Syro-Malankars.
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DIGNITY OF THE PERSON IS THE FOUNDATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

VATICAN CITY, JAN 1, 2007 (VIS) - Following today's Eucharistic celebration marking the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God and before praying the Angelus from the window of his private study overlooking St. Peter's Square, the Pope said: "Today we contemplate Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary, in His attribute of true 'Prince of Peace.' He 'is our peace,' Who came to break down the wall that divides men and peoples, in other words 'hostility'."

  Benedict VI recalled how it was Paul VI who wished "that the year should begin under the protection of Most Holy Mary, venerated as the Mother of God," and that January 1 "should mark the World Day of Peace, so that each year may start in the light of Christ, the great pacifier of humanity.

  "Today," he added, "I renew my hope for peace to the governors and leaders of nations and of international organizations, and to all men and women of good will. I do so particularly with the special Message that I prepared together with my collaborators in the Pontifical Council of Justice and Peace and that has as its theme this year: 'The Human Person, the Heart of Peace'."

  That Message, said the Holy Father, "touches upon an essential point: the value of the human person, who is the column that supports the entire grand edifice of peace. Today there is much talk of human rights, but it is often forgotten that they need a foundation that is firm, not relative or subjective. This foundation can only be the dignity of the person. And respect for this dignity begins with the recognition and protection of people's right to live and profess their own religion freely."

  The Pope concluded: "To the Holy Mother of God we trustingly address our prayer that sacred respect for all human beings and the firm refusal of war and violence may develop in people's consciences. Help us, Mary, you who brought Jesus into the world, to welcome from Him the gift of peace and to be sincere and courageous builders of peace."
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