VATICAN CITY, 19 APR 2011 (VIS) - The Pope sent the following telegram of condolence to Archbishop Cesare Nosiglia of Turin, Italy on the death yesterday at the age of 86 of Cardinal Giovanni Saldarini, Archbishop Emeritus of that diocese.
"It is with sorrow that I have received the news of the death of Cardinal Giovanni Saldarini, after a long illness lived with faithful abandon to the Lord. I desire to express to Your Excellency and to the entire diocesan community, as well as to the family of the lamented cardinal, that I participate deeply in their grief, thinking affectionately of this dear brother who has generously served the Gospel and the Church. I recall with gratitude his intense pastoral work extended first as a fervid priest and auxiliary bishop of Milan and then as an attentive and amiable archbishop of Turin. I offer fervent prayers to the Lord so that He might welcome him into His peace. To all those who are mourning his death I cordially impart the comfort of apostolic blessing, with particular thoughts for those who have lovingly cared for him in these last years of his illness."
TGR/ VIS 20110420 (180)
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
TWO CARDINALS TAKE POSSESSION OF THEIR TITULAR CHURCHES
VATICAN CITY, 19 APR 2011 (VIS) - Today, the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff announced that:
- Friday 29 April, at 6:00pm, Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz, archbishop of Warsaw, will take possession of the title of Sts. Sylvester and Martin of Tours at Via del Monte Oppio 28, Rome.
- Friday 29 April, at 7:00pm, Cardinal Jose Manuel Estepa Llaurens, archbishop military ordinary emeritus of Spain, will take possession of the title of Saint Gabriel the Archangel all'Acqua Traversa at Viale Cortina d'Ampezzo 144, Rome.
OCL/ VIS 20110420 (80)
- Friday 29 April, at 6:00pm, Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz, archbishop of Warsaw, will take possession of the title of Sts. Sylvester and Martin of Tours at Via del Monte Oppio 28, Rome.
- Friday 29 April, at 7:00pm, Cardinal Jose Manuel Estepa Llaurens, archbishop military ordinary emeritus of Spain, will take possession of the title of Saint Gabriel the Archangel all'Acqua Traversa at Viale Cortina d'Ampezzo 144, Rome.
OCL/ VIS 20110420 (80)
EASTER TRIDUUM: WELCOMING GOD'S WILL IN OUR LIVES
VATICAN CITY, 20 APR 2011 (VIS) - In this morning's general audience, celebrated in St. Peter's Square, the Pope spoke on the Easter Triduum, "the three holy days in which the Church commemorates the mystery of Jesus' passion, death, and resurrection".
Benedict XVI explained that "Holy Thursday is the day that commemorates the institution of the Eucharist and ministerial priesthood. In the morning, each diocesan community, with their bishop, meets at their cathedral church to celebrate the Chrism Mass. ... Priestly vows are also renewed."
"In the afternoon of Holy Thursday", he continued, "the Easter Triduum truly begins, with the remembrance of the Last Supper at which Jesus instituted the commemoration of his Passion, fulfilling the Jewish paschal ritual. ... Jesus washes the feet of his apostles, inviting them to love one another as He loved them, giving His life for them. Repeating this gesture in the liturgy, we are also called to actively bear witness to our Redeemer's love".
The Holy Father recalled that Holy Thursday "ends with Eucharistic adoration, in memory of the Lord's agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. ... Aware of his imminent death on the cross, he felt a great sorrow".
Referring to the somnolence of the apostles who accompanied Jesus to the Mount of Olives, the Pope noted that "it was the insensibility for God that makes us insensitive to evil". With his death(the chalice that he had to drink from)., the Lord "felt all the suffering of humanity". His will was subordinated to the will of the Father, his natural will transformed into a 'yes' to God's will".
Entering into the will of God, he added, "is not slavery but an entering into truth, love, and the good. It is directing our will toward God". The act at Gethsemane is that "Jesus, with his anguish, charged with the drama of humanity, with our suffering and our poverty, transforms it into the will of God and thus opens the gate of heaven".
Later, referring to Good Friday, the Pope said that this day commemorates "the Lord's passion and death. We adore the crucified Christ, participating in his suffering with our penitence and fasting".
"Finally, on the night of Holy Saturday, we celebrate the solemn Easter Vigil at which is announced Christ's resurrection, his definitive victory over death, which challenges us to be new persons in Him".
The Holy Father highlighted that "the standard that guided each of Jesus' decisions during his entire life was his firm desire to love the Father and be faithful to Him. ... On reliving the Holy Triduum", he concluded, "we make ourselves available to welcome God's will into our lives, aware that our true good, the path of our lives, is found in His will. May the Virgin Mother guide us along this path and grant us her divine Son's grace to be able to dedicate our lives, in the love of Jesus, to the service of others".
During his greetings to the groups present at today's audience, the Pope addressed the 3,000 students participating in the International UNIV Congress sponsored by the Opus Dei prelature. "I hope", he said, "that these Roman day will be the occasion for you to rediscover the person of Christ and a strong ecclesial experience, so that you may return home inspired by the desire to witness to the mercy of the heavenly Father. May your lives thus realize what St. Josemaria Escriva described: "Your bearing and conversation were such that, on seeing or hearing you, people would say: This man reads the life of Jesus Christ".
AG/ VIS 20110420 (590)
Benedict XVI explained that "Holy Thursday is the day that commemorates the institution of the Eucharist and ministerial priesthood. In the morning, each diocesan community, with their bishop, meets at their cathedral church to celebrate the Chrism Mass. ... Priestly vows are also renewed."
"In the afternoon of Holy Thursday", he continued, "the Easter Triduum truly begins, with the remembrance of the Last Supper at which Jesus instituted the commemoration of his Passion, fulfilling the Jewish paschal ritual. ... Jesus washes the feet of his apostles, inviting them to love one another as He loved them, giving His life for them. Repeating this gesture in the liturgy, we are also called to actively bear witness to our Redeemer's love".
The Holy Father recalled that Holy Thursday "ends with Eucharistic adoration, in memory of the Lord's agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. ... Aware of his imminent death on the cross, he felt a great sorrow".
Referring to the somnolence of the apostles who accompanied Jesus to the Mount of Olives, the Pope noted that "it was the insensibility for God that makes us insensitive to evil". With his death(the chalice that he had to drink from)., the Lord "felt all the suffering of humanity". His will was subordinated to the will of the Father, his natural will transformed into a 'yes' to God's will".
Entering into the will of God, he added, "is not slavery but an entering into truth, love, and the good. It is directing our will toward God". The act at Gethsemane is that "Jesus, with his anguish, charged with the drama of humanity, with our suffering and our poverty, transforms it into the will of God and thus opens the gate of heaven".
Later, referring to Good Friday, the Pope said that this day commemorates "the Lord's passion and death. We adore the crucified Christ, participating in his suffering with our penitence and fasting".
"Finally, on the night of Holy Saturday, we celebrate the solemn Easter Vigil at which is announced Christ's resurrection, his definitive victory over death, which challenges us to be new persons in Him".
The Holy Father highlighted that "the standard that guided each of Jesus' decisions during his entire life was his firm desire to love the Father and be faithful to Him. ... On reliving the Holy Triduum", he concluded, "we make ourselves available to welcome God's will into our lives, aware that our true good, the path of our lives, is found in His will. May the Virgin Mother guide us along this path and grant us her divine Son's grace to be able to dedicate our lives, in the love of Jesus, to the service of others".
During his greetings to the groups present at today's audience, the Pope addressed the 3,000 students participating in the International UNIV Congress sponsored by the Opus Dei prelature. "I hope", he said, "that these Roman day will be the occasion for you to rediscover the person of Christ and a strong ecclesial experience, so that you may return home inspired by the desire to witness to the mercy of the heavenly Father. May your lives thus realize what St. Josemaria Escriva described: "Your bearing and conversation were such that, on seeing or hearing you, people would say: This man reads the life of Jesus Christ".
AG/ VIS 20110420 (590)
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
VATICAN CITY, 20 APR 2011 (VIS) - Today the Holy Father appointed:
- Bishop Faustino Armendariz Jimenez, of the diocese of Matamoros, Mexico, as Bishop of Queretaro (area 15,326, population 1,856,000, Catholics 1,809,000, priests 338, religious 1,071), Mexico. He succeeds Archbishop Mario de Gasperin Gasperin whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Bishop Fernando Natalio Chomali Garib, titular of Noba and auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese of Santiago, Chile, as archbishop metropolitan of Concepcion (area 11,330, population 1,248,993, Catholics 645,978, priests 121, permanent deacons 35, religious 254), Chile.
- Bishop Mylo Hubert Claudio Vergara, of the diocese of San Jose, the Philippines, as bishop of Pasig (area 78, population 1,517,000, Catholics 1,143,000, priests 29, religious 8), the Philippines.
- Fr. Peter Andrew Comensoli, professor of the Catholic Institute of Sydney, Australia, as auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese of Sydney (area 1,264, population 2,366,000, Catholics 634,000, priests 478, permanent deacons 5, religious 1,583), Australia. The bishop-elect was born in Bulli, New South Wales, Australia in 1964. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1992 for the diocese of Wollongong.
Yesterday, 19 April, the Holy Father named Bishop George Stack, titular bishop of Gemellae in Numidia and auxiliary bishop of Westminster, as Metropolitan Archbishop of Cardiff, (area 3,064, population 1,510,000, Catholics 144,960, priests 94, permanent deacons 16, religious 157), Wales, United Kingdom.
NER:RE:NEA/ VIS 20110420 (220)
- Bishop Faustino Armendariz Jimenez, of the diocese of Matamoros, Mexico, as Bishop of Queretaro (area 15,326, population 1,856,000, Catholics 1,809,000, priests 338, religious 1,071), Mexico. He succeeds Archbishop Mario de Gasperin Gasperin whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Bishop Fernando Natalio Chomali Garib, titular of Noba and auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese of Santiago, Chile, as archbishop metropolitan of Concepcion (area 11,330, population 1,248,993, Catholics 645,978, priests 121, permanent deacons 35, religious 254), Chile.
- Bishop Mylo Hubert Claudio Vergara, of the diocese of San Jose, the Philippines, as bishop of Pasig (area 78, population 1,517,000, Catholics 1,143,000, priests 29, religious 8), the Philippines.
- Fr. Peter Andrew Comensoli, professor of the Catholic Institute of Sydney, Australia, as auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese of Sydney (area 1,264, population 2,366,000, Catholics 634,000, priests 478, permanent deacons 5, religious 1,583), Australia. The bishop-elect was born in Bulli, New South Wales, Australia in 1964. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1992 for the diocese of Wollongong.
Yesterday, 19 April, the Holy Father named Bishop George Stack, titular bishop of Gemellae in Numidia and auxiliary bishop of Westminster, as Metropolitan Archbishop of Cardiff, (area 3,064, population 1,510,000, Catholics 144,960, priests 94, permanent deacons 16, religious 157), Wales, United Kingdom.
NER:RE:NEA/ VIS 20110420 (220)
Monday, April 18, 2011
SPAIN'S FIRST FEMALE AMBASSADOR PRESENTS CREDENTIALS
VATICAN CITY, 16 APR 2011 (VIS) - Benedict XVI, who celebrates his 84th birthday today, received in audience Maria Jesus Figa Lopez-Palop, the first woman to serve as Spain's Ambassador to the Holy See.
At the beginning of his address, the Pope recalled his visit to Santiago de Compostela and Barcelona this past November where, he said, "I saw many demonstrations of the vitality of the Catholic faith of those lands that have seen the births of so many saints and which are sown with cathedrals, centers of assistance and culture, which are inspired by the fertile tradition and faithfulness of its inhabitants to their religious beliefs. This also entails the responsibility of diplomatic relations between Spain and the Holy See that always endeavor to promote, with mutual respect and collaboration, within each one's legitimate autonomy in their respective areas, everything that promotes the good of persons and the authentic development of their rights and freedoms, which include the expression of their faith and conscience, both in the public as well as in the private sphere".
The Holy Father highlighted that "the Church, in carrying out her mission, seeks the whole good of each nation and its citizens, acting in the area of her competency and fully respecting the autonomy of civil authorities. She seeks the good of those who are dear to her and those who ask God to serve Him in society with generosity, honor, skill, and justice. This goal, in which the Church's mission and the function of the state meet, moreover has given expression to bilateral accords between Spain and the Holy See".
Referring afterwards to the difficult economic situation today, with its resultant unemployment "that provokes discouragement and frustration, especially in the youth and less-privileged families", the Pope assured his prayers that God "will enlighten those with public responsibilities, that they will tirelessly seek a path of recovery that is beneficial to all of society". In this regard he emphasized the praiseworthy work that the Catholic institutions are carrying out to swiftly assist those most in need".
"The Church", he continued, "offers something inherent to her, which benefits persons and nations: She offers Christ, the hope that encourages and strengthens, like an antidote to the deception offered by other fleeting proposals or to the hearts lacking in values that wind up hardening to the point of not being able to perceive the genuine emotion of life and the reason of things. This hope gives birth to confidence and collaboration, thus changing the bleak present into the spirit's effort to face the future with hope, both as a person as well as a family and a society".
Benedict XVI lamented that "in place of living and organizing society in such a way that favors openness and excellence, there are ways of living, often even having a certain sophistication, that are hostile to faith. ... There are certain environments that tend to consider religion as a socially insignificant factor that seek to offend it. This does not excuse the marginalization of religion, that at times takes place through denigration, ridicule, discrimination, and even indifference in the face of clear profanation. Such is a violation of the fundamental right to religious freedom inherent to the dignity of the human person, the "true weapon of peace because it can change and better the world".
"The Church", he said, "Keeps watch over fundamental human rights. ... She keeps watch over the right to human life from its conception to its natural end because life is sacred and nobody can dispose of it arbitrarily. She keeps watch over the protection of and assistance to the family, defending the economic, social, and juridical means by which men and women contract marriage and form a family so that it has the support necessary to fulfill its vocation and to be the sanctuary of love and life. She also champions education that integrates moral and religious values according to parents' convictions as their right and as is beneficial to the complete development of youth. For that same reason this is included, as is the provision of teaching the Catholic religion in all centers for those who choose it, in the Church's own legal ordinances.
Before concluding, the Pope expressed the desire that the next World Youth Day that will take place in Madrid in August, "will bear abundant spiritual fruit for the youth and for Spain. I also note the availability, cooperation, and generous assistance that the [Spanish] government as well as autonomous and local authorities are extending for the success of an initiative that will attract the attention of the entire world and will demonstrate once more the greatness of the hearts and souls of the Spanish people".
CD/ VIS 20110418 (780)
At the beginning of his address, the Pope recalled his visit to Santiago de Compostela and Barcelona this past November where, he said, "I saw many demonstrations of the vitality of the Catholic faith of those lands that have seen the births of so many saints and which are sown with cathedrals, centers of assistance and culture, which are inspired by the fertile tradition and faithfulness of its inhabitants to their religious beliefs. This also entails the responsibility of diplomatic relations between Spain and the Holy See that always endeavor to promote, with mutual respect and collaboration, within each one's legitimate autonomy in their respective areas, everything that promotes the good of persons and the authentic development of their rights and freedoms, which include the expression of their faith and conscience, both in the public as well as in the private sphere".
The Holy Father highlighted that "the Church, in carrying out her mission, seeks the whole good of each nation and its citizens, acting in the area of her competency and fully respecting the autonomy of civil authorities. She seeks the good of those who are dear to her and those who ask God to serve Him in society with generosity, honor, skill, and justice. This goal, in which the Church's mission and the function of the state meet, moreover has given expression to bilateral accords between Spain and the Holy See".
Referring afterwards to the difficult economic situation today, with its resultant unemployment "that provokes discouragement and frustration, especially in the youth and less-privileged families", the Pope assured his prayers that God "will enlighten those with public responsibilities, that they will tirelessly seek a path of recovery that is beneficial to all of society". In this regard he emphasized the praiseworthy work that the Catholic institutions are carrying out to swiftly assist those most in need".
"The Church", he continued, "offers something inherent to her, which benefits persons and nations: She offers Christ, the hope that encourages and strengthens, like an antidote to the deception offered by other fleeting proposals or to the hearts lacking in values that wind up hardening to the point of not being able to perceive the genuine emotion of life and the reason of things. This hope gives birth to confidence and collaboration, thus changing the bleak present into the spirit's effort to face the future with hope, both as a person as well as a family and a society".
Benedict XVI lamented that "in place of living and organizing society in such a way that favors openness and excellence, there are ways of living, often even having a certain sophistication, that are hostile to faith. ... There are certain environments that tend to consider religion as a socially insignificant factor that seek to offend it. This does not excuse the marginalization of religion, that at times takes place through denigration, ridicule, discrimination, and even indifference in the face of clear profanation. Such is a violation of the fundamental right to religious freedom inherent to the dignity of the human person, the "true weapon of peace because it can change and better the world".
"The Church", he said, "Keeps watch over fundamental human rights. ... She keeps watch over the right to human life from its conception to its natural end because life is sacred and nobody can dispose of it arbitrarily. She keeps watch over the protection of and assistance to the family, defending the economic, social, and juridical means by which men and women contract marriage and form a family so that it has the support necessary to fulfill its vocation and to be the sanctuary of love and life. She also champions education that integrates moral and religious values according to parents' convictions as their right and as is beneficial to the complete development of youth. For that same reason this is included, as is the provision of teaching the Catholic religion in all centers for those who choose it, in the Church's own legal ordinances.
Before concluding, the Pope expressed the desire that the next World Youth Day that will take place in Madrid in August, "will bear abundant spiritual fruit for the youth and for Spain. I also note the availability, cooperation, and generous assistance that the [Spanish] government as well as autonomous and local authorities are extending for the success of an initiative that will attract the attention of the entire world and will demonstrate once more the greatness of the hearts and souls of the Spanish people".
CD/ VIS 20110418 (780)
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