OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 30 DEC 2008 (VIS) - Today the Holy Father appointed:

- Fr. P. Elio Greselin, S.C.J., former Provincial General of the Dehonian Fathers, as Bishop of Lichinga (area 129,362, population 1,084,682, Catholics 200,466, priests 29, religious 74), Mozambique. The bishop-elect was born in Tretto di Venza, Italy in 1938 and was ordained a priest in 1965.

- Archbishop Mario Zenari, formerly Apostolic Nuncio to Sri Lanka, as Apostolic Nuncio to Syria.

- the following as consultants to the Congregation for the Clergy: Msgr. Giuseppe Sciacca, Prelate Auditor of the Roman Rota; Fr. Valerio Michele Adriano, of the Archdiocese of Turin, Italy; Fr. Davide Cito, of the personal prelature of Opus Dei and professor of Penal Law at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, Rome; Fr. James Conn, S.J, professor of Canon Law at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome; Fr. Enrico dal Covolo, S.D.B., professor of Christian and Classical Letters at the Pontifical Salesian University, Rome; Fr. Alberto Franzini, of the Diocese of Cremona, Italy; Fr. Martin Grichting, of the Diocese of Chur, Switzerland; Fr. David-Maria Jaeger, O.F.M., professor of Canon Law at the Pontifical University "Antonianum", Rome; Fr. Moacyr Malaquias Junior, O.F.M., professor of Canon Patrimonial Law at the Pontifical University "Antonianum", Rome; Fr. Jesus Minambres, of the personal prelature of Opus Dei and professor of Administrative Law at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, Rome; Fr. Luis Navarro, of the personal prelature of Opus Dei and dean of the Canon Law faculty at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, Rome; Fr. Christoph Ohly, of the Diocese of Cologne and assistant to the chair of Canon Law at the Catholic University of Munich, Germany; Fr. Jan Sliwa, O.P., assistant dean and professor of Canon Law at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), Rome; and Dr. Richard Fitzgibbon, psychiatrist and member of the Catholic Medical Association of the United States of America.
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PAPAL AND HOLY SEE ACTIVITIES IN AUGUST-DECEMBER 2008

VATICAN CITY, 30 DEC 2008 (VIS) - Following is the biannual report of the major events related to the activities of the Holy Father Benedict XVI and the Holy See from August to December of 2008.

AUGUST

- 19: The Holy Father appointed Daniel Rudolf Anrig as commander of the Pontifical Swiss Guard with the rank of Colonel.

- 23: The Holy Father appointed Archbishop Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, as special secretary of the Twelfth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, held in the Vatican from 5 to 26 October on the theme "The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church". He substituted Bishop Wilhelm Emil Egger, O.F.M. Cap., who had recently passed away.

SEPTEMBER

- 5: On the liturgical memory of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the Italian Episcopal Conference joined with Pope Benedict XVI in calling upon all Italian dioceses to observe a day of prayer and fasting for Christians in India.

- 6: Audience with the prelates of the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua on the completion of their "ad limina" visit.

- 6: Audience with Traian Basescu, President of Romania.

- 6: Cardinal Antonio Innocenti, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Clergy and president emeritus of the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Patrimony of the Church and of the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei" died at the age of 93.

- 7: The Holy Father made a pastoral visit to Cagliari in Sardinia, Italy.

- 8: On the Feast of the Birth of the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, the Holy Father sent an SMS to the youth who had participated in this year's World Youth Day in July in Sydney, Australia.

- 9: A letter from the Holy Father Benedict XVI to Bishop Luciano Monari of Brescia, Italy, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the death of Pope Paul VI was published.

- 12-15: The Holy Father made an apostolic visit to France, commemorating the 150th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady at Lourdes.

- 21: 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time: at 9:00am: the Pope celebrated Mass and dedicated a new altar at the cathedral of San Pancrazio in Albano, Italy.

- 21: Beatification of the Servant of God Vincenza Maria Poloni, Italian foundress of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy, at Verona, Italy.

- 26: Audience with prelates from the Uruguayan Episcopal Conference, at the conclusion of their five-yearly "ad limina" visit:

- 27: Audience with Pavel Vosalik, new Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the Holy See, on the presentation of his Letters of Credence.

- 28: Beatification of the Servant of God Michael Sopocko, Polish priest and founder of the Congregation of Sisters of Merciful Jesus, in the square in front of the Divine Mercy Church of Bialystok, Poland.

OCTOBER

- 3: International congress organized jointly by the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family and Sacred Heart Catholic University in Rome to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the publication of Paul VI's Encyclical "Humanae vitae".

- 4: Beatification of the Servant of God Francesco Pianzola, Italian diocesan priest and founder of the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Queen of Peace, in the cathedral of Vigevano, Italy.

- 4: Beatification of the Servant of God Francesco Giovanni Bonifacio, Italian priest and martyr, in the cathedral of Trieste, Italy.

- 4: The Holy Father Benedict XVI made an official visit to Italian President Giorgio Napolitano at the Quirinal Palace, Italy's official presidential residence, returning the visit to the Vatican made by the president on 20 November 2006.

- 5: 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time: the Pope presided at a Eucharistic concelebration with the Synod Fathers in the Roman basilica of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls for the opening of the Twelfth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops which will be meeting to consider the theme: "The Word of God in the Life and the Mission of the Church".

- 9: The Pope presided at a Eucharistic concelebration with cardinals in the Vatican Basilica at 11:30 a.m. to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of the Servant of God Pope Pius XII.

- 12: 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time: The Pope celebrated the Eucharist in St. Peter's Square at 10 a.m., during which he canonised the Blesseds Gaetano Errico, Maria Bernarda Butler, Alfonsa of the Immaculate Conception (Anna Muttathupadathu), and Narcisa de Jesus Martillo Moran.

- 18: The Holy Father presided over the celebration of first Vespers of the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time in the Sistine Chapel, marking the participation of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople in the work of the current Twelfth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.

- 19: Beatification of the Servants of God Louis Martin and Maria Zelia Guerin, lay persons, married couple, and parents of St. Teresa of the Child Jesus, in Lisieux, France.

19: 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Benedict XVI made a pastoral visit to the Shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Holy Rosary at Pompeii, Italy. At 10:00 a.m. he celebrated the Eucharist and offered the traditional supplication to the Virgin of Pompeii, and at 5:00 p.m. prayed the Holy Rosary with the gathered faithful.

26: 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time: The closure of the Twelfth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in the Vatican Basilica.

27: The Pope announced his intention to make an apostolic visit to Cameroon in March 2009 to entrust the working document of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops to representatives of the episcopal conferences of Africa and to Angola to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the evangelization of that country.

NOVEMBER

7: Presentation of the Letters of Credence of Vytautas Alisauskas, new Ambassador of Lithuania to the Holy See

8: Presentation of the Letters of Credence of Wang Larry Yu-yuan, new Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the Holy See.

13: Presentation of the Letters of Credence of Sante Canducci, new Ambassador of the Republic of San Marino to the Holy See.

13: Audience with Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, President of the Federative Republic of Brazil.

17: Presentation of the Letters of Credence of Georges Chakib El Khoury, the Ambassador of Lebanon to the Holy See.

23-27: His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of Cilicia of the Armenians, whose See is located in the Lebanese town of Antelias, made an official visit to the Pope and the Church of Rome.

24: Beatification of the Servants of God Peter Kibe Kasui, Japanese priest of the Company of Jesus, and his 187 companions, killed in Japan between 1603 and 1639, at noon in the Nagasaki Big N. Stadium, Japan.

29: Beatification of the Servant of God Jose Olallo Valdes, Cuban professed religious of the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God (1820-1889) in Plaza de la Caridad of Camaguey, Cuba.

30: First Sunday of Advent: Pastoral visit to the Roman basilica of San Lorenzo for the 1,750th anniversary of the martyrdom of the deacon saint as part of the Holy Father's annual visits to Roman parishes.

DECEMBER

1: Audience with Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

4: Audience with prelates of the Episcopal Conference of Chile at the conclusion of their five-yearly "ad limina" visit.

5: Presentation of the Letters of Credence of Juan Pablo Cafiero, new Ambassador of Argentina to the Holy See

5: The Holy Father sent a telegram of condolence to the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on the death of His Holiness Alexy II, Patriarch of Moscow and of All the Russias at the age of 79.

12: Audience with prelates of the Episcopal Conference of Taiwan at the conclusion of their five-yearly "ad limina" visit.

12: Presentation of the Instruction of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith "'Dignitas Personae': On Certain Bioethical Questions", published in seven languages.

12: United States Cardinal Avery Dulles, S.J. died at the age of 90.

13: Visit to the Italian Embassy to the Holy See, housed in the Borromeo Palace.

18: Audience with 11 new ambassadors to the Holy See to receive their Letters of Credence: Isaac Chikwekwere Lamba (Malawi), Perols Ulla Birgitta Gudmundson (Sweden), Christian Sheka Kargbo (Sierra Leon), Elin Flygenring (Iceland), Paul Duhr (Luxembourg), Rajaonarivony Narisoa (Madagascar), Oscar Ayuso (Belize), Rafiaa Limam Baouendi (Tunisia), Amanzhol Zhankuliyev (Kazakhstan), Naser Muhamed Youssef Al Belooshi (Bahrain), and Pio Bosco Tikoisuva (Fiji Islands).

18: Audience with staff members, contributors, and advisors of Vatican Television (CTV) on the occasion of the celebration of CTV's 25th anniversary this year.

19: Audience with Graziano Luigi Triboldi, new ambassador of the Seychelles to the Holy See, on the presentation of his Letters of Credence.

19: Audience with members of the Labor Office of the Apostolic See (ULSA), which will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its establishment by John Paul II this coming 1 January.
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BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR JANUARY

VATICAN CITY, 30 DEC 2008 (VIS) - Pope Benedict XVI's general prayer intention for January is: "That the family ma become more and more a place of training in charity, personal growth and transmission of the faith".

 His mission intention is: "That the different Christian confessions, aware of the need for a new evangelization in this period of profound transformations, may be committed to announcing the Good News and moving towards the full unity of all Christians in order to offer a more credible testimony of the Gospel".
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MORE THAN TWO MILLION IN FUNCTIONS WITH POPE

VATICAN CITY, 30 DEC 2008 (VIS) - During 2008, 2,215,000 faithful and pilgrims participated in a general or special audience, the prayer of the Sunday Angelus, or the liturgical celebrations presided over by the Holy Father.

 According to data on the year that is about to end provided by the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household, more than half a million people participated in the Wednesday general audiences - October being the month of heaviest attendance - and more than a million participated in the Sunday Angelus prayers in St. Peter's Square.
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GIVING WITNESS TO THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FAMILY

VATICAN CITY, 28 DEC 2008 (VIS) - At noon today, the Feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth, the Pope addressed the thousands who had gathered in St. Peter's Square to pray the Angelus.

The Holy Father affirmed that "the family of Jesus truly merits the title 'holy' because its sole desire was to fulfil the will of God, incarnate in the adorable presence of Jesus. On the one hand, it is a family like all others and as such is a model of conjugal love, collaboration, sacrifice, trust in Divine Providence, industriousness, solidarity, of all those values safeguarded and promoted by the family, contributing in a basic way to the formation of the fabric of every society".

"At the same time", he continued, "the family of Nazareth is unique, different from all others because of its singular vocation tied to the mission of the Son of God. Precisely with this uniqueness it signals to all families, Christian families primarily, the horizon of God, the sweet and demanding primacy of His will, the perspective of heaven to which we are destined".

Benedict XVI then addressed the thousands of persons gathered in Madrid's Plaza de Colon who were participating in a celebration to "pray for the family and dedicate themselves to work in support of it with strength and hope".

The family", he said, "is certainly a grace of God, which allows what He Himself is to be revealed: Love. An eternally gratuitous love that sustains faithfully and without limits, even in moments of difficulty or discouragement. These qualities are eminently incarnate in the Holy Family in which Jesus came to the world and was raised, coming to wisdom with the thoughtful care of Mary and the faithful tutelage of St. Joseph".

"Dear families", he continued, "do not let love, openness to life, and the incomparable bonds that unite your home be corrupted. Ask this continually of the Lord, praying together, that your intentions be illuminated by faith and exalted by divine grace on the path toward holiness. In this way, with the joy of sharing everything in love, you will give the world a beautiful witness of how important the family is for the human being and for society. The Pope is by your side, asking especially of the Lord for those in each family who have the greatest needs of health, work, comfort, and companionship".

The Holy Father concluded, recalling that the 6th World Encounter of Families will take place in Mexico City from 14 to 18 January 2009. "Let us pray for this important ecclesial event, entrusting all family to the Lord, especially those most affected by the difficulties of life and by the wounds of incomprehension and division. May the Redeemer, born in Bethlehem, give to all the serenity and strength of walking united the path of good."
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