THE POPE VISITS THE PRESIDENT OF THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC: “WE HAVE COMMON CONCERNS AND CONVERGENT RESPONSES”

Vatican City, 14 November 2013 (VIS) – This morning Pope Francis visited the president of the Republic of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano, in the Quirinal Palace, where he arrived shortly after 11 o'clock, after crossing the centre of Rome by car. Upon arrival he was greeted by the Head of State in the courtyard of the palace, where he received military honours and the anthems of both Vatican City State and Italy were played. President Napolitano then accompanied the Pope to the library; the members of the government awaited them in the antechamber. This is the third meeting between the Holy Father and the president: the first was on 19 March, the first day of his pontificate, and the second took place on 8 June, when the Italian Head of State visited the Vatican. Today, the Bishop of Rome returns this visit.

Pope Francis thanked President Napolitano for his many gestures of attention in these first eight months of his pontificate, which he described as a continuation of those demonstrated during Napolitano's seven years of office during the pontificate of Benedict XVI. He recalled his predecessor with affection, recalling his 2008 visit to the Quirinale, which he described as the “symbolic home of all Italians”. Paying a visit “to this place, so rich in symbols and history, ideally I would like to knock on the doors of each inhabitant of the country, when the roots of my earthly family lie, and offer the word of the Gospel, healing and always new, to all”.

The Pope mentioned the key moments in the relationship between the Italian State and the Holy See, and cited the inclusion in the Constitution of the Republic of the Lateran Pacts and the Agreement on the Revision of the Concordat; almost thirty years have passed since this latter, which represents “the legislative frame of reference for the serene development of relations between State and Church, a framework which reflects and supports the daily collaboration in the service of the human person with a view to the common good, in the distinction of their respective roles and spheres of action. There are many matters with regard to which we have common concerns and our responses may converge. The current moment is marked by the economic crisis which is difficult to overcome and whose gravest effects include a lack of employment. It is necessary to multiply efforts to alleviate the consequences of the crisis and to seize and strengthen any sign of recovery”.

In this context, “the main task of the Church is to bear witness to God's mercy and to encourage a generous response of solidarity to open up a future of hope; because where hope grows, there is an increase in energy and commitment to the construction of a more human and just social and civil order, and new potential emerges for healthy and sustainable development”. The Holy Father mentioned his pastoral visits in Italy, especially to the island of Lampedusa where he encountered the suffering of those who, because of war or poverty, are compelled to emigrate, often in desperate conditions” and where he saw “the commendable solidarity of those who dedicate themselves to the work of welcoming” these immigrants. He also recalled the trips to Cagliari, where he prayed before the Madonna of Bonaria, and Assisi, to venerate the Saint of Italy and the patron whose name he has taken. “Also in these places I have touched with my hands the wounds that afflict many people”.

The family, “fulcrum of hope and social problems”, was the final topic of the Pope's address. He emphasised that the Church continues to promote the efforts of all, individuals and institutions, in support of the family, which is the primary location in which the human being is formed and grows, and where values are transmitted along with the examples that make them credible. The family needs the stability and recognition of mutual bonds in order to carry out fully its unique role and to achieve its mission. While the family makes its energies available to society, it asks in return to be appreciated, valued and protected”.

Before leaving the palace, Pope Francis met with workers in the Quirinal, along with their families. He thanked Napolitano for the familiarity of the encounter and directly addressed the children present, whom he described as “very important”. The Holy Father, recalling that the employees of the Quirinal are often aware of the social and family problems that Italians wish to make known to the president, encouraged them to treat all people with a spirit of “welcome and understanding”, and added that “there is a great need for people who work with professionalism and a strong sense of humanity and comprehension, with sympathetic attention especially towards the weakest. I urge you not to be discouraged by difficulties, but to be ready to support each other”.

The Bishop of Rome took leave of the president, expressing his wish that, “supported by prayer, Italy may draw upon her rich heritage of civil and spiritual vales, and find again the creativity and consensus necessary for harmonious development, to promote the common good and the dignity of every person, and to offer to the international community her contribution for peace and justice”.

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

Vatican City, 14 November 2013 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father:

- appointed Bishop Sebastian Francis Shaw as Archbishop of Lahore (area 23,069, population 27,023,000, Catholics 404,000, priests 78, religious 343), Pakistan. Archbishop-elect Shaw was previously auxiliary of Lahore and apostolic administrator “ad nutum Sanctae Sedis” of the same archdiocese.

- accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Nanterre, France, presented by Bishop Gerard Daucourt, in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.

BAPTISM IS THE STARTING POINT OF A LIFELONG PATH TO CONVERSION

Vatican City, 13 November 2013 (VIS) – In the catechesis of this Wednesday's general audience, the Pope continued his reflection on the articles of the Creed. This time he spoke about the only explicit reference to a Sacrament in the profession of faith: “I believe in one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins”. In effect, Baptism is the “door” to faith and Christian life, and the mission of the Church, following the mandate of the Risen Christ is “to evangelise and to forgive the sins through Sacramental Baptism”. To better explain this expression, the Pontiff divided it into three points: “I believe”, “in one Baptism”, and “for the forgiveness of sins”.

By proclaiming “I believe”, said the Holy Father, “we affirm our true identity as sons of God”. At the same time, “Baptism is linked to our faith in the remission of sins. The Sacrament of Penance or Confession is, indeed, like a 'second Baptism', which always refers to the first to consolidate or renew it. In this sense, the day of our Baptism is the beginning of a path of conversion which lasts throughout our lives, and which is continually supported by the Sacrament of Penance”. When we go to confess our weaknesses, our sins, we ask Jesus Christ for forgiveness … but we also go to renew our Baptism with this forgiveness. Confession is not a torture chamber, it is a celebration of the day of Baptism”.

The Pope described Baptism as “the act of birth of a Christian in the Church”, and asked the participants in the audience to raise their hands if, alongside their birthday, they remembered the date of their Baptism. Since few hands were raised in St. Peter's Square, he set those present the task of asking their parents or finding out when they returned home, and urged them to celebrate it to commemorate the act of birth into the Church.

The Holy Father then considered the second element: one Baptism, recalling that the word “baptism” literally means “immersion”. “This sacrament”, he emphasised, “constitutes a true spiritual immersion in the death of Christ, from which we emerge as new creatures. It is a cleansing for regeneration and enlightenment. Regeneration because it puts into effect the birth from the water and the Spirit without which no-one may enter the kingdom of heaven, and enlightenment since, through Baptism, the human person is filled with the grace of Christ, 'the true light that gives light to everyone' and dissipates the shadows of sin. By virtue of this gift, the baptised is himself called to become 'light' to his brothers, especially for those who find themselves in the shadows and do not perceive any glimmer of light on the horizon of their lives”.

Finally, Pope Francis turned to the forgiveness of sins. In the Sacrament of Baptism “all sins are forgiven, original sin and all personal sins, as well as all forms of punishment for sin. By Baptism we open the door to a new form of life that is not oppressed by the weight of a negative past, but instead already resonates with the beauty and goodness of the Kingdom of Heaven. It is a powerful intervention of God's mercy in our lives, for our salvation. But this salvific intervention does not remove the weakness from our human nature; it does not take away our responsibility to ask forgiveness whenever we err”.

“And I cannot be baptised twice, three times, four”, he continued, speaking off the cuff, “but I can go to confession and when I do so, I renew the grace of Baptism. It is as if it were a second Baptism. The Lord Jesus, Who is so good, and Who never tires of forgiving me. Listen! Baptism opens the door to the Church … but when the door narrows a little because of our weaknesses or our sins, confession helps us to open it because it is like a second Baptism, which forgives us all and enlightens us, helping us to go ahead joyfully in the light of the Lord. Because life is about living in the joy of Jesus Christ and it is a grace from the Lord.

Following the catechesis, during the customary greetings, the Pope affectionately welcomed the relatives of the victims of the attack in Nasiriyah, Iraq, ten years after the bombing of the Italian military police headquarters in which twelve Carabinieri, five soldiers and two Italian civilians were killed.

POPE FRANCIS: BATTLE FOR LIFE, NOT FOR DEATH

Vatican City, 13 November 2013 (VIS) – After today's catechesis, Pope Francis renewed his appeal for an end to the tragedy in Syria and also mentioned the Philippine people currently suffering the consequences of the super-typhoon Haiyan.

“It is with great sadness that I have learnt of the mortar attack two days ago in Damascus in which several children were killed on the way home from school, along with the driver of their bus. Other children were injured. Please, let us pray with all our strength that these tragedies may never again happen! In these days we are praying and uniting our strength to help our brothers and sisters in the Philippines, struck by the typhoon. These are the real battles that must be fought. For life, never for death!”

THE POPE'S REPRESENTATIVES IN A GLOBALISED WORLD

Vatican City, 13 November 2013 (VIS) – The book “La diplomazia pontificia in un mondo globalizzato” (“Papal Diplomacy in a Globalised World”), written by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B., camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, was presented yesterday afternoon in the New Synod Hall. The speakers in the presentation were Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J., and Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.

The volume gathers together addresses given by Bertone during his seven years in the service of the Holy See. It is enriched by a preface written personally by Pope Francis, described by the Cardinal as “inspired thoughts which do not fail to surprise me and which, I believe, will surprise you with his broad-ranging diplomatic vision”.

The second part of the book is dedicated to diplomats, both former ones and those in formation at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy. Archbishop Mamberti remarked that these representatives of the Pope are not merely ambassadors as they are not “strangers” where they work. “We must not forget that papal diplomacy, before being a vehicle for dialogue between civil and ecclesiastical communities, is 'first and foremost a tool of intra-ecclesial cohesion', a sign of that 'concern for all the Churches' that the Bishop of Rome has always demonstrated, so that 'the yardstick of the life of the Servants of the Church … is formed, while within the limits inherent in the conditions and possibilities of each person, from the silent and generous dedication to the Body of Christ and to lasting service to the cause of mankind”.