VATICAN II DOCUMENTS STILL RETAIN ALL THEIR RELEVANCE

VATICAN CITY, 28 OCT 2008 (VIS) - Made public today was a Message from the Pope to Fr. Marco Tasca, minister general of the Friars Minor Conventual and chancellor of the St. Bonaventure Pontifical Theological Faculty ("Seraphicum"), for the occasion of an international congress which opened today in Rome. The congress has as its theme: "Vatican Council II in the Pontificate of John Paul II".

  The event has been organised by the St. Bonaventure Theological Faculty and the Institute for Documentation and Study of the Pontificate of John Paul II.

  After recalling how Vatican Council II (1962-1965) was convened by John XXIII, the 50th anniversary of whose election to the Cathedra of Peter falls today, Benedict XVI writes that "the conciliar documents have not lost their relevance with the passing of time; their teachings have shown themselves to be especially pertinent to the new exigencies of the Church and the present globalised society".

  Referring to his predecessor, the Holy Father highlights how John Paul II, "in almost every document he produced, and even more so in his decisions and acts as Pontiff, welcomed the fundamental tenets of Vatican II, thus becoming a qualified interpreter and coherent witness of the Council. His constant concern was to make everyone aware of the advantages that would ensue from welcoming the conciliar vision, not only for the good of the Church, but also for that of civil society and of the people in it".

  "We are all debtors of that extraordinary ecclesial event", writes Benedict XVI. "The vast doctrinal patrimony, which we rediscover in its Dogmatic Constitutions in its Declarations and Decrees, still stimulates us to a deep appraisal of the Word of the Lord in order to apply it to the Church today, bearing in mind the many requirements of the men and women of the modern world, who have an urgent need to know and experience the light of Christian hope".

  The Pope assures participants in the congress that the "Doctor Seraphicus" (St. Bonaventure), "in the richness of his thought, can still offer you valid guidelines with which to approach the conciliar documents in order to seek satisfying answers to the many questions of our time".
MESS/JOHN PAUL II VATICAN II/TASCA            VIS 20081028 (380)

CHRISTIANS AND HINDUS: TOGETHER IN FAVOUR OF NON-VIOLENCE

VATICAN CITY, 28 OCT 2008 (VIS) - Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, has written a message to Hindus for the celebration of Diwali, the festival of lights, which this year falls on 28 October. The message is entitled, " Christians and Hindus: Together in Favour of Non-violence".

  In the English-language Message, the cardinal proposes "considering together how we can live harmoniously in today's society, witnessing to the truth, light and hope that Diwali celebrates. While religions are often blamed for society's ills, we know that it is rather the manipulation of religion, contrary to its fundamental beliefs, that is used to carry out so many forms of violence".

  "In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus called on His disciples to love their enemies, to pray for those who hated them. ... In the Hindu tradition, non-violence is one of the more important teachings. Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Indian nation, is respected and held in high regard by people of different generations around the world for his complete dedication to the service of humanity. During the course of his struggle for freedom, he realised that 'an eye for an eye, and soon the whole world is blind'. Throughout his life, he developed among others, the concept of 'Ahimsa' (non-violence).

  "He is a model for non-violence and he led by example to the point of laying down his life because of his refusal to engage in violence.

  "Non-violence is not merely a tactical manoeuvre but is the attitude of one who, as the Pope affirmed, 'is so convinced of God's love and power' that he is not afraid to tackle evil with the weapons of love and truth alone. Love of one's enemy is the revolution of love, a love that does not rely ultimately on human resources but is a gift of God.

  "Non-violence is encouraged by many other religions. Non-violence is central to our beliefs as the way to promote truth, light, mutual respect, freedom and harmony. As religious leaders called to uphold the truth found in our respective religions, let us help to foster non-violence among our followers and support it in their actions.

  "Let us do all we can to promote the sacredness of human life, the good of the poor and lowly in our midst and collaborate, through dialogue, to foster the dignity of the human person regardless of race or caste, creed or class. As Hindus and Christians, especially in the present situation, let us be won over by love without reserve, with the conviction that non-violence is the only way to build a global society that is more compassionate, more just and more caring".
CON-DIR/DIWALI/TAURAN                    VIS 20081028 (460)

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 28 OCT 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Msgr. Johan Bonny of the clergy of Bruges, Belgium, rector of the Pontifical Belgian college in Rome and official of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, as bishop of Antwerp (area 2,570, population 1,474,367, Catholics 1,284,682, priests 789, permanent deacons 76, religious 2,312), Belgium. The bishop-elect was born in Ostend, Belgium in 1955 and ordained a priest in 1988. He succeeds Bishop Paul Van den Berghe, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
NER:RE/.../BONNY:VAN DEN BERGHE                VIS 20081028 (110)

THE SYNOD PRESENTS 55 PROPOSITIONS TO THE HOLY FATHER

VATICAN CITY, 25 OCT 2008 (VIS) - The working sessions of the Twelfth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops concluded this morning with the approval of the 55 propositions which the Synod Fathers have presented to Benedict XVI.

  By order of the Pope, a provisional and unofficial Italian-language version of the propositions has been made public by the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops. This is the second time that Benedict XVI has allowed the publication of the closing propositions of a synodal assembly. Normally the propositions are given privately to the Pope for him to consider while preparing the Apostolic Exhortation, the official closing document of a Synod.

  The first part of the list, entitled: "The Word of God in the Faith of the Church" includes the propositions from 3 to 13. They focus on the duty of pastors to educate the faithful to gain a better experience of their relationship with Christ Jesus, through reading and meditation upon Scripture.

  After analysing the relationship between the Old and New Testaments, the propositions highlight how the poor, "in need not only of bread but also of the words of life", have a preferential right to know the Gospel.

  Referring to one of the "challenges of the modern world: the great progress of science in respect to its knowledge of the natural world, with the paradoxical result that it can end up obscuring the ethical message arising therefrom", the Synod asks pastors "to be sensitive to the rediscovery of natural law and its function in the formation of consciences".

  The second part (propositions 14 to 37) focuses on the theme: "The Word of God in the Faith of the Church". On the subject of the Word of God and the liturgy, it is suggested the Bible be placed in a visible position inside churches, and that the Word of God be clearly proclaimed by people who have "familiarity with the dynamics of communication".

  On the subject of the homily - one of the major themes of the synodal assembly - the propositions stress the need to prepare it well, bearing in mind the day's biblical readings, what those readings mean to the priest, and what he must then say to the community in the light of their real situation. The need to promote "lectio divina" (the prayerful reading of Scripture) is also emphasised.

  The Synod Fathers encourage the laity in their efforts to transmit the faith and, in this context, underline the indispensable role of women, especially within the family, in catechises and in the ministry of the lectorate. They also note that, although the liturgy of the Word is a privileged place for the encounter with Christ, it must not be confused with the liturgy of the Eucharist.

  Another of the propositions reflects a suggestion made by the Pope himself: that, in exegesis, it is important to bear in mind the two methodologies indicated by the Dogmatic Constitution "Dei Verbum": the historical and the theological. This is because, as Benedict XVI said in an address during the Synod, "if an hermeneutics of faith is lacking, there necessarily arises a positivist or secularist hermeneutic, according to which the divine does not enter into human history".

  The third and final part includes propositions 38 to 54 on: "The Word of God in the Mission of the Church". It deals with such issues as the Word of God and liturgical art, and the translation and distribution of the Bible. These propositions also highlight the importance of the communications media for evangelisation and warn against the danger of a fundamentalist reading of the Bible and the phenomenon of sects.

  Other themes considered in this section include inter-religious dialogue, the promotion of pilgrimages, the study of Holy Scripture in the Holy Land, dialogue with Jews and Muslims, and the relationship between the Word and the protection of the environment.

  The Synod Fathers call for a strengthening of inter-religious dialogue and insist "that all believers be effectively guaranteed the liberty to profess their religion in private and in public, and that freedom of conscience be recognised". The prelates suggest that episcopal conferences should promote meetings and dialogue with Jews. On the subject of Muslims, they stress the "importance of respect for life, and of the rights of men and of women, as well as the distinction between the socio-political and the religious spheres in promoting justice and peace in the world. An important part of this dialogue will be reciprocity and freedom of conscience and religion", they say.

  In the final proposition, dedicated to the Virgin Mary model of the Church's faith, it is suggested that the faithful be further encouraged to pray the Angelus and the Rosary.
SE/FINAL LIST PROPOSITIONS/...                VIS 20081027 (800)

POPE TO TRAVEL TO CAMEROON AND ANGOLA IN MARCH 2009

VATICAN CITY, 26 OCT 2008 (VIS) - In the Vatican Basilica at 9.30 a.m. today, the Holy Father presided at a Eucharistic concelebration with the Synod Fathers. The event marked the close of the Twelfth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops which has been held in the Vatican from 5 to 26 October on the theme: "The Word of God in the Life and the Mission of the Church".

  In his homily, the Pope highlighted the importance of listening "to the Word and incarnating it in individual and community life.

  "In this Eucharistic celebration, which closes the work of the Synod", he added, "we are particularly aware of the bond that exists between loving reception of the Word of God and disinterested service towards our fellow man. How many times, in the past days, have we heard experiences and reflections which highlight the contemporary need to listen to God more intimately, to gain a truer knowledge of His Word of Salvation, a more sincere sharing of faith which is constantly nourished at the table of the Divine Word".

  After thanking all the participants, Benedict XVI made particular mention of the bishops of continental China, who were unable to attend the synodal assembly. "I would like", he said, "to thank God for their love for Christ, their communion with the universal Church and their faithfulness to the Successor of the Apostle Peter. They are present in our prayers, as are all the faithful entrusted to their pastoral care. We ask the 'Chief Shepherd' to give them apostolic joy, strength, and zeal to guide, with wisdom and far-sightedness, the Catholic community of China so dear to us all".

  The Pope went on: "All of us who have taken part in the work of the Synod will carry with us the renewed knowledge that the Church's principal task, at the start of this new millennium, is above all to nourish herself on the Word of God in order to make new evangelisation more effective. What is needed now is that this ecclesial experience be brought to every community. We have to understand the necessity of translating the Word we have heard into gestures of love, because this is the only way to make the announcement of the Gospel credible, despite the human weaknesses that mark individuals. What this requires first of all is a more intimate knowledge of Christ and meek acceptance of His Word.

  "In this Pauline year, making our own the words of the Apostle ('Woe to me if I do not proclaim the Gospel'), I hope with all my heart that in every community this yearning of Paul's will be felt with ever more conviction, as a vocation in the service of the Gospel for the world. ... So many people are searching, sometimes unwittingly, for the meeting with Christ and His Gospel; so many need to find a meaning to their lives in Him.

  After highlighting the fact that "often the encounter with Scriptures is in danger of not being a 'Church event', but remains exposed to subjectivity and arbitrariness", the Pope noted the importance of a "robust and credible pastoral promotion of the knowledge of Holy Scripture, in order to announce, celebrate and live the Word in Christian communities, establishing a dialogue with the cultures of our time, placing ourselves at the service of truth and not of current ideologies, and increasing the dialogue that God wishes to have with all mankind". To this end, "special care should be paid to the preparation of pastors", and "ongoing efforts to give life to the biblical movement among lay people should be encouraged, along with the formation of group animators. ... We must also support efforts to transmit the faith through the Word of God to those who are 'far away', especially to those who are sincerely looking to give meaning to their lives", he said.

  "The privileged place where the Word of God resounds, the Word that builds the Church, is undoubtedly the liturgy. It is clear from the liturgy that the Bible is a book of a people and for a people. ... There is, therefore, a mutual relationship, a living bond, between the people and the Book. The Bible remains alive with the people who read it. The people cannot exist without the Book, because it is in it that they find their reason for living, their vocation and their identity. This mutual bond between people and Holy Scripture is celebrated at every liturgical gathering".

  Benedict XVI ended his homily by entrusting to the protection of the Virgin Mary the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops, due to be held in Rome in October of next year. He also announced his intention to travel to Cameroon in March 2009 to entrust the working document for that Synod to representatives of the episcopal conferences of Africa. "From there", he concluded, "God willing, I will go on to Angola to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the evangelisation of that country".
HML/CLOSURE SYNOD/...                        VIS 20081027 (850)