TO THE YOUNG OF SARDINIA: DO NOT SELL YOURSELVES TO MERCHANTS OF DEATH

Vatican City, 22 September 2013 (VIS) – The final encounter in Pope Francis' pastoral visit to Cagliari was with the young who, at 5 p.m., awaited him in Largo Carlo Felice, where in the morning he had met with representatives from the world of work.

Francis commented on the Gospel reading which related the story of the miraculous fish, inviting those present not to “let yourselves be overwhelmed by pessimism and distrust … when a young person is distrustful towards life, when a young person loses hope … these merchants of death … offer a route for when you are sad, without hope without trust, without courage. Please, do not sell your youth to those who sell death! You know what I am talking about”.

“Trust in Jesus”, he continued, “and when I say this, I want to be sincere and say to you: I do not come here to sell you an illusion. I come here to say: there is a Person who can carry you through: trust in Him! He is Jesus, and Jesus is not an illusion! Difficulties must not frighten you, but rather press you to overcome them. Put out to sea and cast your nets wide … with Jesus everything changes. The Word of the Lord has filled the nets, and the Word of the Lord gives effect to the missionary work of the disciples. Following Jesus is demanding, it means not being content with small objectives, with navigating close to the coast, but rather aiming high, with courage. … When it seems that all is still and stagnant, when personal problems disturb us, social unease does not find the necessary solutions, we must not give up. The path is Jesus: let him embark with us and let us set out to sea with Him! Everything changes with Jesus. … Without making too many human calculations and without worrying if the reality around you corresponds to that about which you are sure. Set out to sea, come out of yourselves; let us come out from our little world and open ourselves to God, so that we might be ever more open to our brothers”.

Since on 21 September the Pope celebrates sixty years since he was given his priestly vocation, at the age of seventeen, Francis affirmed that he has never regretted his decision because “even in the darkest moments, in moments of sin, in moments of frailty, in moments of failure, he always looked to Jesus, Who never abandoned him”.

Before concluding the meeting with his final blessing, the Pope mentioned the suicide attack outside a church in Peshawar, Pakistan at midday today. “There are mistaken choices, choices of destruction. Today, in Pakistan, because of a wrong decision, a choice of hatred, of war, there was an attack in which over 70 people died. This choice cannot stand. It serves nothing. Only the path of peace can build a better world. But if you do not do it yourselves, no-one else will! This is the problem, and this is the question I leave you with. 'Am I willing, am I willing to take the route to building a better world?' Let us pray an Our Father for all those who lost their lives in this attack in Pakistan. … And may the Virgin always help us to work for a better world, to take the path of construction, the path of peace, and never the route of destruction and war".

Following the meeting the Pope departed by air from Cagliari, arriving in Rome at 8 p.m. and returning to the Vatican shortly after.

THE INTERNET MUST TRANSMIT A CHURCH WHICH IS HOME TO ALL

Vatican City, 21 September 2013 (VIS) – The Pontifical Council for Social Communications, whose president is Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, held its plenary assembly from 19 to 21 September, on the theme of “The internet and the Church”. This morning the participants in the meeting were received in audience by the Pope who, in his address, posed three questions: the importance of communication for the church, the internet, and the encounter with Christ.

With regard to the first, Francis recalled that this year is the fiftieth anniversary of the Conciliar Decree Inter Mirifica, and emphasised that this is “more than a commemoration; the Decree expresses the Church’s solicitude for communication in all its forms, which are important in the work of evangelisation. In the last few decades the various means of communication have evolved significantly, but the Church’s concern remains the same, though it assumes new forms and expressions. The world of communications, more and more, has become a 'living environment' for many, one in which people communicate with one another, expanding their possibilities for knowledge and relationship”.

Considering the role of the Church and her use of the media, he said, “In every situation, beyond technological considerations, I believe that the goal is to understand how to enter into dialogue with the men and women of today in order to appreciate their desires, their doubts and their hopes. They are men and women who sometimes feel let down by a Christianity that to them appears sterile and in difficulty as it tries to communicate the depth of meaning that comes with the gift of faith. We do in fact witness today, in the age of globalization, a growing sense of disorientation and isolation. ... It is therefore important to know how to dialogue and, with discernment, to use modern technologies and social networks in such a way as to reveal a presence that listens, converses and encourages. Allow yourselves, without fear, to be this presence, expressing your Christian identity as you become citizens of this environment. A Church that follows this path learns how to walk with everybody”.

Francis reaffirmed that in this communicative context, the question is not one of technical considerations. “We must ask ourselves – and here I come to the third step – are we up to the task of bringing Christ into this area and of bringing others to meet Christ? Are we able to communicate the face of a Church which is 'home' to all? The challenge is to rediscover, through the means of social communication as well as by personal contact, the beauty that is at the heart of our existence and our journey, the beauty of faith and of the encounter with Christ. Even in this world of communications, the Church must warm the hearts of men and women. … The great digital continent not only involves technology but is made up of real men and women who bring with them their hopes, their suffering, their concerns and their pursuit of what is true, beautiful and good. We need to bring Christ to others, through these joys and hopes, like Mary, who brought Christ to the hearts of men and women; we need to pass through the clouds of indifference without losing our way; we need to descend into the darkest night without being overcome and disorientated; we need to listen to the dreams, without being seduced; to share their disappointments, without becoming despondent; to sympathize with those whose lives are falling apart, without losing our own strength and identity”.

“It is important to bring the solicitude and the presence of the Church into the world of communications so as to dialogue with the men and women of today and bring them to meet Christ. This must be done, however, in complete awareness ... that the real problem does not concern the acquisition of the latest technologies, even if these make a valid presence possible. It is necessary to be absolutely clear that the God in whom we believe, who loves all men and women intensely, wants to reveal himself through the means at our disposal, however poor they are, because it is he who is at work, he who transforms and saves us. Let us pray that the Lord may make us zealous and sustain us in the engaging mission of bringing him to the world”.

CONSISTORY FOR THE CANONISATION OF JOHN XXIII AND JOHN PAUL II

Vatican City, 21 September 2013 (VIS) – The Office of Liturgical Celebrations has made public that an ordinary public consistory for the canonisation of Blessed Popes John XXIII and John Paul II will take place at 9 a.m. on Monday 30 September in the Consistory Hall of the Vatican Apostolic Palace.

AUDIENCES

Vatican City, 23 September 2013 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father received in audience:

- Juan Carlos Gamarra Skeels, new ambassador of Peru to the Holy See, presenting his letters of credence.

- George Alencherry, Major Archbishop of Ernakulam Angamaly of the Syro-Malabars, India.

- Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne, archbishop of Lima, Peru.

- Bishop Francesco Guido Ravinale of Asti, Italy, and entourage.

- Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga of Kampala, Uganda.

- Mr. Camilo Rey.

On Saturday, 21 September, the Holy Father received in audience Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

Vatican City, 23 September 2013 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father:

- appointed Bishop Shelton J. Fabre as bishop of Houma-Thibodaux (area , population , Catholics , priests , permanent deacons , religious ), U.S.A. Bishop Fabre, previously auxiliary of New Orleans, U.S.A., was born in New Road, U.S.A. in 1963, was ordained to the priesthood in 1989, and received episcopal ordination in 2007. He succeeds Bishop Sam G. Jacobs, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese upon having reached the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.

- appointed Archbishop Martin Krebs as apostolic nuncio to Fiji, Samoa and Vanuatu. Archbishop Krebs was previously apostolic nuncio to New Zealand, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia, and apostolic delegate in the Pacific Ocean.

On Saturday, 21 September, the Holy Father:

- appointed Cardinal Mauro Piacenza as penitentiary major of the Apostolic Penitentiary. Cardinal Piacenza was previously prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy. He succeeds Cardinal Manuel Monteiro de Castro, whose resignation, upon reaching the age limit, was accepted by the Holy Father.

In the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith:

- confirmed Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Muller as prefect and Archbishop Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer as secretary of the same Congregation;

- appointed Archbishop Joseph Augustine Di Noia as adjunct secretary. Archbishop Di Noia was previously vice president of the Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei”;

- confirmed all members and consultors of the Congregation;

- appointed Bishop Giuseppe Sciacca, adjunct secretary of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura as consultor.

In the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples:

- confirmed Cardinal Fernando Filoni as prefect; Archbishop Savio Hon Tai-Fai S.D.B. as secretary; Archbishop Protase Rugambwa as adjunct secretary; and all members and consultors.

In the Congregation for the Clergy:

- appointed Archbishop Beniamino Stella as prefect. Archbishop Stella was previously president of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy;

- confirmed Archbishop Celso Morga Iruzubieta as secretary;

- appointed Bishop Jorge Carlos Patron Wong of Papantla as secretary for Seminaries, at the same time elevating him to the dignity of archbishop;

The Holy Father also:

- appointed Msgr. Mauro Rivella, of the clergy of the archdiocese of Turin, as delegate of the Ordinary Section of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See.

- appointed Archbishop Nikola Eterovic as apostolic nuncio to Germany. Archbishop Eterovic was previously secretary general of the Synod of Bishops.

- appointed Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri as secretary general of the Synod of Bishops. Archbishop Baldisseri was previously secretary of the Congregation for Bishops.

- appointed Archbishop Miroslaw Adamczyk as apostolic nuncio to Sierra Leone. Archbishop Adamczyk was previously apostolic nuncio to Liberia and Gambia.

- appointed Msgr. Giampiero Gloder, as apostolic nuncio and president of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, at the same time elevating him to the dignity of archbishop. The archbishop-elect was previously nunciature councillor and office chief with special duties at the Secretariat of State.