POPE'S MESSAGE FOR THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARGENTINE SHRINE OF ST. PANTALEON

Vatican City, 24 July 2014 (VIS) – The shrine is “a temple that seems still, but that the people of God carry forward. In this way it has moved ahead for fifty years in the hearts of the many faithful who have come to venerate the saint, to implore for health, and to profess their faith. In this way it has moved into the heart of the area, projecting itself onto the whole city”, said the Pope in the message he sent to the faithful who will meet in the neighbourhood of Mataderos in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the shrine of St. Pantaleon. “I ask the Lord to grant you the grace to continue on your path, to continue this pilgrimage of the heart in the midst of this great city”.

The Holy Father went on to recall with nostalgia the time during which, as archbishop of Buenos Aires, he personally visited the parish dedicated to the doctor saint of Nicomedia. “I wish to be close to you to be able to relive in some way the occasions in which I was able to visit the shrine on 27 July to help the priests in confession. I returned home spiritually strengthened by this witness of faith. The good I received is unimaginable. And I wish to give thanks for all this good. May the Lord reward you plentifully”.

The pontiff concluded by assuring the faithful of his closeness and prayer and asked them to pray for him. “In these days of celebration … I am close to you. … May Jesus bless you and the Holy Virgin protect you”.

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

Vatican City, 24 July 2014 (VIS) – The Holy Father has appointed Ref. Joy Alappat as auxiliary of the eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle of Chicago of the Syro-Malabars (Catholics 87,000, priests 53, religious 31), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in Parappukara, India, in 1956 and was ordained a priest in 1981. He holds a master's degree in theology from the St.Joseph's Pontifical Institute, Aluva, and the Adheva University, Wattair, and completed the Clinical Pastoral Education programme at Georgetown University, U.S.A. He has held a number of pastoral roles both in India – in the eparchal cathedral in Chalakudy and as chaplain of the Syro-Malabar community in Chennai – and in the U.S.A., as chaplain of Georgetown University, and parish priest in New Milford, Newark and Garfield. He is currently rector of the eparchal Cathedral in Bellwood, Illinois.

NINETY MINUTES FOR PEACE

Vatican City, 23 July 2014 (VIS) – An “Interreligious Match for Peace” will be held on 1 September at 8.45 p.m., at the Olympic Stadium in Rome. The event will involve the participation of world level players and coaches such as Lionel Messi, Gianluigi Buffon, Zinedine Zidane, Javier Zanetti, Roberto Baggio, Andrea Pirlo, Yuto Nagatomo and Samuel Eto'o, and the proceeds will be donated to charity.

The idea for the match originates from April 2013, when the Pope met with the Argentine and Italian teams following a friendly match between them. On that occasion, the footballer Javier Zanetti communicated to the Pope his idea of organising a sporting event uniting people of different religions. A year later, the idea took shape. Tickets for the event will be available from Friday 25 July, and all the proceeds will be donated to “Scholas Occurrentes” and to the P.U.P.I. Foundation.

Scholas Occurrentes is an educational organisation, supported by Pope Francis through the Pontifical Council for Sciences, that uses technology, art and sport to promote social integration and the culture of encounter. The P.U.P.I. Foundation is a non-profit organisation created by Paula and Javier Zanetti over ten years ago, promotes and supports distance adoption programmes and assistance for children in difficult social conditions.

AUDIENCES

Vatican City, 23 July 2014 (VIS) – Today the Holy Father received in audience Archbishop Charles John Brown, apostolic nuncio in Ireland.

Yesterday afternoon, 22 July, the Holy Father received in audience Archbishop Giorgio Lingua, apostolic nuncio in Jordan and Iraq.

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

Vatican City, 23 July 2014 (VIS) – The Holy Father has appointed Fr. Jan Kot O.M.I. as bishop of Ze Doca (area 35,110, population 332,000, Catholics 305,000, priests 25, permanent deacons 1, religious 30), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Mokon, Poland in 1962, gave his perpetual vows in 1986 and was ordained a priest in 1992. He holds a licentiate history of the Church from the University of Rybnik, Poland, and has served as priest in the parishes of Siedlce, Poland, and in Jussarval and subsequently Vitoria di Santo Antao, in the archdiocese of Olinda and Recife, Brazil. He is currently priest of the “Sagrado Coracao de Maria” parish in Campo Alegre do Fidalgo, Brazil. He succeeds Bishop Carlo Ellena, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese, upon reaching the age limit, was accepted by the Holy Father.