Wednesday, September 3, 2014

MARY: MODEL OF MOTHERLY COURAGE FOR THE CHURCH


Vatican City, 3 September 2014 (VIS) – “We do not become Christians by ourselves, of our own will, autonomously, but rather we are generated and grow in faith within the great body of the Church”, said Pope Francis during this morning's general audience. “The Church is truly a mother, a mother who gives life in Christ and who enables us to live with all our brethren in the communion of the Holy Spirit”.

The Holy Father explained that the Church has a model for this maternity in the Virgin Mary. “The maternity of the Church is in continuity with that of Mary. … The Church, in the fruitfulness of the Spirit, continues to generate new sons and daughters in Christ. .. The birth of Jesus from Mary's womb is indeed the prelude to the rebirth of every Christian and He is the first-born of a multitude of brothers. Therefore, we are able to understand the depth of the relationship between Mary and the Church; when we look to Mary, we see the most beautiful and most tender face of the Church; when we look to the Church, we recognise the sublime features of Mary. We Christians are not orphans”.

He remarked that the Church is our mother as she gave birth to us in our Baptism, and, “since that day, like an affectionate mother, brings us up in faith and shows us, through the strength of God's Word, the path of salvation, defending us from evil”. The maternity of the Church is particularly evident in the service of evangelisation, in which she is “committed, like a mother, to offering her sons the spiritual nourishment that nurtures them and renders Christian life fruitful. The path of salvation, by which the Church guides us and accompanies us with the strength of the Gospel and the support of the Sacraments, gives us the capacity to defend ourselves against evil, like a courageous mother who protects her children from danger.

The Pope warned that, although God has defeated Satan, he always returns with his temptations. “We must not be ingenuous”, he said, “but must instead remain vigilant and firm in our faith, with the counsel and the help of the mother Church who ... accompanies her children in difficult moments”. Similarly, Francis encouraged those present to remember that we, all baptised persons, are the Church, and must not be afraid to bear witness to this maternity. “Let us entrust ourselves to Mary”, he concluded, “so that she may teach us to have the same maternal spirit towards our brethren, with a sincere capacity to accept, forgive, give strength and infuse trust and hope”.

TO THE FAITHFUL OF IRAQ: THE CHURCH SUFFERS BY YOUR SIDE AND IS PROUD OF YOU


Vatican City, 3 September 2014 (VIS) – In his greetings in various languages, following his catechesis during today's general audience, the Pope addressed Arab-speaking pilgrims, especially those from Iraq, reminding them that the Church is a mother and therefore, like all mothers, know how to accompany her child when in need, to seek him out when he is lost, and to “defend the defenceless and persecuted”. “Today, I especially wish to assure the latter, the defenceless and persecuted, of my closeness – you are in the heart of the Church, the Church suffers with you and is proud of you, proud to have sons and daughters like you. You are the strength and the concrete and authentic example of her message of salvation, forgiveness and love. I embrace all of you, all of you. May the Lord bless you and protect you always”.

He went on to address Polish-speaking pilgrims and recalled that, during these days various cities in Poland commemorate the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of the Second World War. “Let us entrust to God's mercy those who lost their lives for the love of their homeland and their brothers, and let us invoke the gift of peace in all the nations of Europe and throughout the world, by the intercession of Mary, Queen of Peace”.

Finally, he greeted the faithful from the Italian diocese of Terni-Narni-Amelia, to whom he expressed his concerns regarding the difficult situation experienced by many families in Terni due to the plans of the Thyssenkrupp Corporation, and renewed his appeal that “the logic of profit may not prevail, but rather that of solidarity and justice. The person and his or her dignity is at the heart of every issue, including that of work. We must not joke about work. Those who, for the sake of money, business and greater profit, leave people without work, must be aware that this means removing their dignity”.

HOLY FATHER'S CALENDAR FOR SEPTEMBER


Vatican City, 3 September 2014 (VIS) – The Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff has published the following calendar of liturgical celebrations at which the Holy Father will preside during the month of September:

Saturday, 13: Pastoral visit to the military monument of Redipuglia, Italy, and Holy Mass.

Sunday, 14: Festivity of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. 9 a.m., in St. Peter's Basilica, Holy Mass with the rite of marriage.

Sunday, 21: Apostolic trip to Albania.

Sunday, 28: 10.30 a.m. in St. Peter's Square, Holy Mass with the elderly.

POPE FRANCIS' ACTIVITIES IN AUGUST


Vatican City, 3 September 2014 (VIS) – The following is a list of Pope Francis' activities during the month of August, including the Angelus, audiences, other pontifical acts, telegrams, messages and other news. The activities are presented in chronological order within the respective categories.

ANGELUS

3: Francis comments on the three messages that Jesus offers with the multiplication of the loaves and the fishes: compassion, sharing and the Eucharist. In this Gospel reading, Christ shows us the path which will enable us to face the needs of this world in a brotherly way, and which will lead us beyond this world.

10: The Gospel tells that Jesus walks on water and, when Peter tests him, he too is able to walk on water. “Jesus tells us that we are able to perform miracles with our faith, faith in God, faith in His Word, faith in His voice”.

24: Simon, in the name of the the Twelve, professes his faith in Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of the living God”; Jesus calls him “blessed” for his faith, recognising that this is a special gift from the Father, and says to him, “you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church”. The Pope explains that “the Lord intends to construct, to imagine his community, as a building. Therefore, when he hears Simon's sincere profession of faith, he calls him a 'rock' and declares his intention to build His Church on this faith”.

31: Jesus, after ensuring that Peter and the other eleven disciples believe in Him as the Messiah and Son of God, begins to explain that He must go to Jerusalem where He will suffer greatly, will die, and will rise again on the third day. “It is a critical moment in which Jesus' and the disciples' method of thinking emerges”.

WEDNESDAY GENERAL AUDIENCES

6: The Pope describes the Church as the new People of God, founded on the new Covenant sealed with the blood of Jesus, and emphasises the importance of John the Baptist as he prepares the people to receive Jesus.

20: First General Audience following the Holy Father's return from Korea. Francis recounts to the faithful the main events of his visit – the beatification of 124 martyrs and his meeting with the young, which enabled him to present the Church as a family which transmits to the new generations the faith received from their ancestors.

27: “When we recite the Creed”, says the Pope, “we say that the Church is 'one', and 'holy', even though we know from experience that she is made up of sinners and there is no lack of divisions”. Francis recalls that “in a Christian community, division is one of the most serious sins, as it does not allow God to act”.

MESSAGES AND TELEGRAMS

4: Message from the Pope to Scouts in Europe to mark the Eurojamboree, held in Saint-Evroult-Notre-Dame-du-Bois in Normandy, France from 1 to 10 August 2014.

4: Telegram of condolences from the Holy Father for the death of Cardinal Edward Bede Clancy, titular of Santa Maria in Vallicella, archbishop emeritus of Sydney, Australia.

6: Message from the Holy Father to the 1st Latin-American Congress for Family Pastoral, held in Panama from 4 to 9 August.

9: Letter from Pope Francis to his special envoy to the celebration of the 3rd World Apostolic Congress on Mercy (WACOM III), which took place in Bogota, Colombia from 15 to 19 August.

11: Video message from Pope Francis broadcast in Korea by the KBS on the occasion of his apostolic trip to the Republic of Korea for the 6th Asian Youth Day.

11: Telegram of condolences from the Holy Father to the victims of the air crash at the international airport of Mehrabad-Teheran, Iran.

13: Letter from the Pope to the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon, on the dramatic situation unfolding in the north of Iraq.

18: Letter from the Holy Father to the special envoy to the solemn Eucharistic Celebration to mark the 250th anniversary of the foundation of St. Louis in the U.S.A., on 24 August.

22: Telegram from the Pope for the death in Novi, Michigan, U.S.A. of Cardinal Edmund Casimir Szoka, title of Sts. Andrew and Gregory at Monte Celio, president emeritus of the Pontifical Commission for the Governorate of Vatican City State.

23: Message from the Holy Father for the 35th edition of the Summer Festival for Friendship Among Peoples, held on 24 August in Rimini, Italy, on the theme: “To the ends of the world and of existence. Destiny has not left man alone”.

25: Telegram from the Pope on the occasion of the Synod of the Waldensian Methodist Church, which began on 24 August in Torre Pellice, Piedmont, Italy.

PASTORAL VISIT TO KOREA

13: The Holy Father begins his apostolic trip in Korea. Francis arrives in Seoul where he is received by Park Geun-hye, president of the Republic of Korea, and various other state authorities. He meets with the bishops of the country in the offices of the Episcopal Conference of Korea.

15: Francis travels to the World Cup Stadium in Daejeon to celebrate Mass and visits the shrine of Solmoe, where a large number of young people await his arrival to celebrate the 6th Asian Youth Day.

16: The Pope visits the Shrine to the Martyrs of Seo So-Mun and the Gwanghwamun Gate in Seoul where he beatifies Paul Yun Ji-Chung and 123 companion martyrs. He visits the rehabilitation centre for the disabled in Yongsan, the “Cemetery for Aborted Children”, and the “School of Love” in Kkottongnae, where he meets the religious community of Korea. The Pope later meets with the leaders of the lay apostolate at the Kkottongnae Spiritual Centre.

17: The Holy Father visits the Shrine to the unknown martyrs, where he meets with the bishops of Asia. From there, he transfers to the Castle of Haemi to celebrate Mass to conclude the 6th Asian Youth Day.

18: In Myeong-dong Cathedral Francis meets with religious leaders and celebrates Mass for peace and reconciliation in Korea. He returns to Vatican City.

AUDIENCES

1: Cardinal George Pell, prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy.

2: Archbishop Franco Coppola, apostolic nuncio in the Central African Republic.

11: Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops. On Sunday, 10 August in the Domus Sanctae Marthae the Holy Father received in audience Cardinal Fernando Filoni, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples.

27: Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kuin, S.D.B., bishop emeritus of Hong Kong, China.

28: The Pope received in separate audiences Cardinal Antonio Maria Veglio, president of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples; Archbishop Salvatore Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelisation, and Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.

29: Fr. Jorge Hernandez, of the Institute of the Incarnate Word, priest in Gaza, Palestine.

APPOINTMENTS

2: Cardinal Paul Jozef Cordes, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, as special envoy to the celebration of the 450th anniversary of the foundation of the Willibaldinum Seminary in the diocese of Eichstatt, Germany, to be held on 11 October.

5: Bishop Luis Adriano Piedrahita, formerly of Apartado, Colombia, is appointed as bishop of Santa Marta in Colombia. He succeeds Bishop Hugo Eugenio Puccini Banfi, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.

6: Nomination of Archbishop Fernando Jose Guimaraes, C.SS.R., as military ordinary of Brazil. Previously bishop of Garanhus in Brazil, he succeeds Archbishop Osvino Jose Bosth, whose resignation from office upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.

Bishop Ernesto Maguengue, previously of Pemba, Mozambique, is appointed as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Nampula in the same country.

7: Nomination of Rev. Bohdan Danylo, formerly rector of St. Basil's seminary, Stamford, U.S.A., as bishop of St. Josaphat in Parma of the Ukrainians, U.S.A.

9: Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo, president emeritus of the Governorate of Vatican City State, is appointed as the Pope's special envoy to the celebration of the centenary of the foundation of the Apostolic Movement of Schonstatt, to be held in Schonstatt in Vallendar, Germany, from 16 to 19 October.

12: Rev. Sevastianos Rossolatos, chancellor of the curia and rector of the “Faneromeni” shrine, Greece, is appointed as archbishop of Athens and apostolic administrator “sede vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis” of Rhodes, Greece. He succeeds Archbishop Nikolaos Foskolos, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese and from the office of apostolic administrator “sede vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis” of Rhodes upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.

18: The Pope appoints Bishop Pablo Emiro Salas Anteliz of Espinal, Colombia, as bishop of Armenia, Colombia.

20: Bishop Thomas Aquino Manyo Maeda of Hiroshima, Japan, is appointed as archbishop of Osaka, Japan. He succeeds Archbishop Leo Jun Ikenaga, S.J., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese upon reaching the age limit was accepted.

22: Rev. Gerardo Diaz Vasquez, priest of Maria Reina y Madre de los Campesinos in Tepatitlan, Mexico, is appointed as bishop of Tacambaro, Mexico. He succeeds Bishop Jose Luis Castro Medellin, M.S.F., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese upon reaching the age limit was accepted.

26: Msgr. Maurizio Malvestiti, under-secretary of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, is appointed as bishop of Lodi, Italy. He succeeds Bishop Giuseppe Merisi, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese upon reaching the age limit was accepted.

On the same day, the Pope appointed Bishop Daniel Edward Thomas, auxiliary of the archdiocese of Philadelphia, U.S.A., as bishop of Toledo in America, U.S.A.

27: The Holy Father accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the eparchy of Satna of the Syro-Malabars, India, presented by Bishop Mathew Vaniakizhakkel, C.V., in accordance with canon 210 paras. 1 and 2 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches.

The Pope appoints Rev. Fr. Adolfo Zon Pereira, S.X., parish priest of Santa Rosa de Lima in Abaetetuba and regional bursar of his order for North Brazil, as coadjutor bishop of the diocese of Alto Solomoes in Brazil.

28: Archbishop Carlos Osoro Sierra of Valencia, Spain, is appointed as metropolitan archbishop of Madrid, Spain. He succeeds Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese upon reaching the age limit was accepted.

Cardinal Antonio Canizares Llovera, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, is appointed as metropolitan archbishop of Valencia, Spain.

29: Bishop George Njaralakatt, eparch of Mandya in India, is appointed as archbishop of the eparchy of Tellicherry of the Syro-Malabars in India.

OTHER NEWS

5: In St. Peter's Square, the Holy Father greets 50,000 German-speaking monks from the dioceses of Germany, Vienna and Linz, Austria, and Latvia, during their pilgrimage to Rome.

7: The director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., speaks on the Pope's behalf regarding his concerns for the exodus of Christian communities from the north of Iraq due to the violence that plagues the region, and repeats his appeal to the international community to bring an end to this humanitarian crisis.

8: The Holy See Press Office communicates that the Holy Father has appointed Cardinal Fernando Filoni, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, as his personal envoy to express his spiritual closeness and the solidarity of the Church to the people of Iraq.

10: Following the Mass celebrated by Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, president of the Italian Episcopal Conference, the Pope greets by telephone 30,000 scouts gathered in Pisa, Italy, to conclude their Third National Route.

20: In the afternoon, the Pope meets with members of Work of Nazareth, accompanied by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, in the Domus Sanctae Marthae.


ACTIVITIES OF THE HOLY SEE IN AUGUST


Vatican City, 3 September 2014 (VIS) – The following is a list of the activities linked to the Holy See during the month of August 2014:

12: The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue issues a declaration on “the reinstatement of the Caliphate”, which was abolished in 1923 by Kamal Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey, affirming that opposition to this “reinstatement” by the majority of Muslim religious and political institutions has not prevented the jihadists of the “Muslim State” from committing unspeakable criminal acts that this dicastery, like all those involved in interreligious dialogue, the followers of all religions and all men and women of goodwill can only denounce and condemn. It emphasises that “Christians and Muslims have been able to live alongside one another – certainly with highs and lows – for centuries, building a culture of co-existence and a civilisation of which they are proud”.

13: The Pontifical Council “Cor Unum” communicates that, since the month of June, humanitarian assistance programmes for Iraqi refugees have been underway. These programmes are organised by the local Church, in particular via Caritas Iraq, and have already reached 4000 families. Other national entities of the Caritas family have joined in the efforts, with the co-ordination of Caritas International.

21: The Pontifical Council “Justice and Peace” announces that Pope Francis has chosen the theme for the 48th World Day of Peace 2015, celebrated every year on 1 January: “Slaves no more, but brothers and sisters”, and commented that in the contemporary world, slavery assumes many abominable faces: human trafficking, the trade in migrants and prostitution, forced labour, the exploitation of man by his peers, and the enslavement of women and children.

25: The director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., issued a communique on the nuncio Jozef Wesoloswki, who appealed against the first grade canonical sentence of laicisation. The archbishop, who has already been dismissed from his diplomatic role and therefore no longer benefits from immunity, may also be subject to trial by other competent judicial bodies.