Consistory on 14 February and courtesy visits to the new cardinals

Vatican City, 6 February 2015 (VIS) – On Saturday 14 February in St. Peter's Basilica, the Holy Father will preside at an Ordinary Public Consistory for the creation of new cardinals and the canonisation of Blessed Jeanne-Emilie De Villeneuve, foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of Castres, Blessed Mary of Jesus Crucified (nee Maryam Baouardy) professed nun of the Order of Discalced Carmelites and Blesseed Marie-Alphonsine Danil Ghattas (nee Maryam Sultanah), co-foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Rosary of Jerusalem of the Latins.

On the same day, in the afternoon, the courtesy visits to the new cardinals will take place in the locations indicated below:

Paul VI Hall

Atrium: Cardinals Manuel Jose Macario do Nascimento Clemente; Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel, C.M; John Atcherley Dew; Edoardo Menichelli; Pierre Nguyen Van Nhon and Alberto Suarez Inda;

Hall: Cardinals Charles Maung Bo, S.D.B. ;Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovithavanij; Francesco Montenegro; Daniel Fernando Sturla Berhouet, S.D.B; Ricardo Blazquez Perez; Jose Luis Lacunza Maestrojuan, O.A.R; Arlindo Gomes Furtad and Soane Patita Paini Mafi;

Apostolic Palace

Sala Regia: Cardinals Dominique Mamberti and Luigi De Magistris;

Sala Ducal: Cardinals Karl-Joseph Rauber, Luis Hector Villalba and Julio Duarte Langa.

On Sunday 15 February, Pope Francis concelebrates Holy Mass with all the cardinals in St. Peter's Basilica at 10 a.m.

Showers and barber under Bernini's Colonnade for “homeless pilgrims”

Vatican City, 6 February 2015 (VIS) – In recent days work has been concluded for the installation of new showers below Bernini’s Colonnade, thus completing an extensive project to provide this service for the poor of the city of Rome through the participating parishes, especially those where there already exist canteens for the poor or where there is a greater concentration of homeless people.

The project was planned, guided and implemented by the technicians and employees of the Governorate of Vatican City State: three showers and a small “barbershop” have been incorporated in the complete renovation of a section of the bathrooms present under the right wing of the Colonnade.

This has been achieved with great sobriety and dignity, but also using modern techniques: every washbasin is equipped with hot water, a soap dispenser and a hot air jet for drying hands, all photocell-activated; instead of tiles, a special resin has been used to coat the walls, which is easy to wash and ensures optimum hygiene.

The showers will be available for use every day, except on Wednesday during the general audience and during celebrations in St. Peter’s Square and in the Basilica. On Monday, Thursday and Saturday the service and management of the showers is ensured by volunteers from UNITALSI – Rome Section. The barber will be available on Monday from 9 am to 3 pm. The service is provided by various voluntary barbers and final year students from a hairdressing school in Rome.

Our homeless pilgrims who wish to use the shower will receive a complete change of underwear and a kit including a towel, soap, toothpaste, a razor, shaving cream and deodorant, in accordance with their specific needs. The majority of the material will be offered free of charge by several companies and private individuals who, having heard of this project, have offered to share their own resources with the needy. The remainder of the material will be purchased as necessary by the Almoner of His Holiness using proceeds from the distribution of parchments for Papal Blessings.

On certain days of the week the poor will be received by volunteers, starting with the Sisters of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the Albertine Sisters who assist the Swiss Guard, the Vincentian Sisters and many other kind-hearted volunteers in Rome who have offered their time and collaboration.

The Centro Televisivo Vaticano and the Photographic Service of L’Osservatore Romano will produce video footage and photographs of the new services and will make them available, from their offices, upon request.

The Almoner wishes to offer heartfelt thanks to all the Parishes that have participated in this project and, in particular, all those who have contributed to producing the showers below the Colonnade and who will endeavour in various ways to their use to assist the poor.

Audiences

Vatican City, 6 February 2015 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father received in audience:

- Cardinal Angelo Scola, archbishop of Milan, Italy;

- His Beatitude Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rai, Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites;

- Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne, archbishop of Lima, Peru;

- Bishop Heinz Wilhelm Steckling of Ciudad del Este, Paraguay.

Other Pontifical Acts

Vatican City, 6 February 2015 (VIS) – The Holy Father has:

- appointed Fr. Jozef Roszynski, S.V.D., as bishop of Wewak (area 36,917, population 367,000, Catholics 224,000, priests 39, religious 90), Papua New Guinea. The bishop-elect was born in Nidzica, Poland in 1962 and was ordained a priest in 1989. He studied at the Divine Word University, Papua New Guinea and has served in a number of pastoral roles, including parish priest in parishes in Warabung, Wirui and Wewak; member of the provincial council of the Verbites in Papua New Guinea; superior of the the Verbites in the district of Wewak; member of commissions created by the apostolic administrator for the management of finances and for the pastoral care of the vacant diocese in Wewak. He is currently a missionary in the same diocese.

- Fr. Denis Chidi Isizoh as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Onitsha (area 2,968, population 2,642,000, Catholics 1,761,000, priests 336, religious 730), Nigeria. The bishop-elect was born in Ogbunike, Japan in 1956 and was ordained a priest in 1985. He studied Holy Scriptures at the Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome, and studied for a doctorate in biblical theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, and has served as a formator at the “All Hallows” minor seminary of Onitsha and chaplain of various institutes and schools. He is currently secretary and assistant to Cardinal Francis Arinze and official at the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

Defence of the environment central to the Pope's audience with the president of Kiribati

Vatican City, 5 February 2015 (VIS) – Today the Holy Father Francis received in audience the president of the Independent and Sovereign Republic of Kiribati, Anote Tong, who subsequently met with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, accompanied by His Excellency Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher, secretary for Relations with States.

During the cordial discussions, emphasis was placed on the importance of the protection of the environment and on matters of climate change, which has worrying negative effects on the country, as in other Pacific States. In this regard, the hope was expressed that on the occasion of the COP-21, to be held in Paris next December, the international Community may adopt concerted and effective measures to face this challenge.