TO SCOTTISH BISHOPS: RENEW FOCUS ON LAY APOSTOLATE

VATICAN CITY, 5 FEB 2010 (VIS) - Benedict XVI today received prelates from the Bishops' Conference of Scotland, who have just completed their five-yearly 'ad limina' visit.

  Addressing the group in English, the Pope commented on the "happy coincidence that the Year for Priests" also "marks the four hundredth anniversary of the priestly ordination of the great Scottish martyr St. John Ogilvie" whose "truly outstanding" dedication is an example for Scottish priests today.

  Going on then to praise the "Priests for Scotland" initiative, which seeks to facilitate the ongoing formation of the clergy, the Holy Father highlighted how "initiatives to promote vocations must be accompanied by sustained catechesis among the faithful about the true meaning of priesthood. Emphasise the indispensable role of the priest in the Church's life, above all in providing the Eucharist by which the Church herself receives life", he told the bishops.

  "Hand in hand with a proper appreciation of the priest's role is a correct understanding of the specific vocation of the laity", as it emerged from Vatican Council II, he said, noting that the vision of the Council was "that wherever the lay faithful live out their baptismal vocation - in the family, at home, at work - they are actively participating in the Church's mission to sanctify the world. A renewed focus on lay apostolate will help to ... give a strong impetus to the task of evangelising society.

  "That task requires a readiness to grapple firmly with the challenges presented by the increasing tide of secularism in your country", the Pope added. "Support for euthanasia strikes at the very heart of the Christian understanding of the dignity of human life. Recent developments in medical ethics and some of the practices advocated in the field of embryology give cause for great concern. If the Church's teaching is compromised, even slightly, in one such area, then it becomes hard to defend the fullness of Catholic doctrine in an integral manner. Pastors of the Church, therefore, must continually call the faithful to complete fidelity to the Church's Magisterium, while at the same time upholding and defending the Church's right to live freely in society according to her beliefs".

  And he went on: "The Church offers the world a positive and inspiring vision of human life, the beauty of marriage and the joy of parenthood. ... Be sure to present this teaching in such a way that it is recognised for the message of hope that it is. All too often the Church's doctrine is perceived as a series of prohibitions and retrograde positions, whereas the reality, as we know, is that it is creative and life-giving, and it is directed towards the fullest possible realisation of the great potential for good and for happiness that God has implanted within every one of us".

  The Holy Father then turned to consider "the tragedy of division" suffered by the Scottish Church, "the great rupture with Scotland's Catholic past that occurred 450 years ago". In this context, however, he also gave "thanks to God for the progress that has been made in healing the wounds that were the legacy of that period, especially the sectarianism that has continued to rear its head even in recent times".

  The Pope also had words of praise for the prelates' "participation in 'Action of Churches Together in Scotland'" by which they aim to ensure that "the work of rebuilding unity among the followers of Christ is carried forward with constancy and commitment".

  "You can be proud", he told the bishops, "of the contribution made by Scotland's Catholic schools in overcoming sectarianism and building good relations between communities. ... As you encourage Catholic teachers in their work, place special emphasis on the quality and depth of religious education, so as to prepare an articulate and well-informed Catholic laity, able and willing to carry out its mission".

  And the Holy Father concluded: "A strong Catholic presence in the media, local and national politics, the judiciary, the professions and the universities can only serve to enrich Scotland's national life, as people of faith bear witness to the truth, especially when that truth is called into question".
AL/.../SCOTLAND                            VIS 20100205 (700)

HEALTHCARE COUNCIL CELEBRATES ANNIVERSARY 9-11 FEBRUARY

VATICAN CITY, 5 FEB 2010 (VIS) - This morning in the Holy See Press Office, a conference was held to present the initiatives being organised to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Pontifical Council for Healthcare Workers, and the eighteenth World Day of the Sick. The events will take place from 9 to 11 February.

  Participating in today's press conference were Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, Bishop Jose L. Redrado O.H. and Msgr. Jean-Marie Musivi Mpendawatu, respectively president, secretary and under secretary of the Pontifical Council for Healthcare Workers; Bishop Jacques Perrier of Tarbes et Lourdes, France, and Salvatore Pagliuca, vice president of UNITALSI (Italian National Union for Transport of the Sick to Lourdes and International Shrines).

  Archbishop Zimowski explained how the celebrations will be linked by the common theme of "the Church at the loving service of those who suffer", the title of Benedict XVI's Message for the World Day of the Sick 2010.

  An international symposium will be held in the Vatican on 9 and 10 February, attended by more than 500 people from 35 countries including healthcare workers, chaplains, doctors and nurses, representatives from volunteer associations and organisations, and a number of sick people. At 10.30 a.m. on 11 February, Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, Benedict XVI will preside at the celebration of the Eucharist in the Vatican Basilica.

  Archbishop Zimowski explained how the Pontifical Council for Healthcare Workers, the first president of which was Cardinal Fiorenzo Angelini, co-ordinates more that 117,000 Catholic health centres around the world. It also involves itself in the formation of pastoral healthcare workers. In this context, and in the light of the current Year of Priests, he made particular mention of chaplains "who interact with the sick and with everyone who works in this sector, professionals and volunteers". Finally, he also mentioned the annual international conference, organised by the pontifical council every November, which this year will reach its twenty-fifth edition.
.../ANNIVERSARY HEALTHCARE COUNCIL/...                VIS 20100205 (330)

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, 5 FEB 2010 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences seven prelates from the Bishops' Conference of Scotland, on their 'ad limina' visit:

    - Bishop Philip Tartaglia of Paisley, accompanied by Bishop emeritus John Aloysius Mone.

    - Bishop Peter Antony Moran of Aberdeen.

    - Bishop Joseph Anthony Toal of Argyll and The Isles, accompanied by Bishop emeritus Ian Murray.

    - Bishop Vincent Logan of Dunkeld.

    - Bishop John Cunningham of Galloway.
AL/.../...                                    VIS 20100205 (80)

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 5 FEB 2010 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Msgr. Arunas Poniskaitis, vicar general of Vilkaviskis, Lithuania, as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Vilnius (area 9,644, population 822,000, Catholics 543,000, priests 156, permanent deacons 1, religious 257), Lithuania. The bishop-elect was born in Sakiai, Lithuania in 1966 and ordained a priest in 1992.
NEA/.../PONISKAITIS                            VIS 20100205 (60)

SALVATION IN CHRIST IS THE FOUNDATION OF HUMAN JUSTICE

VATICAN CITY, 4 FEB 2010 (VIS) - This morning in the Holy See Press Office, the presentation took place of the 2010 Lenten Message of the Holy Father Benedict XVI. The theme of this year's Message is: "The justice of God has been manifested through faith in Jesus Christ".

  Participating in today's press conference were Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes, president of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum"; Hans-Gert Poettering, former president of the European Parliament and current president of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and Msgr. Giovanni Pietro Dal Toso, under secretary of the pontifical council.

  Speaking English, Hans-Gert Poettering noted how "the Holy Father has indicated that a secularly radicalised form of the idea of distributive justice that is decoupled from faith in God becomes ideological. As a politician, I would like to add: We have experienced in collapsed socialism where this thinking can lead to".

  "Solidarity or charity implies the responsibility to defend and protect the universal dignity of any human being anywhere in the world under any circumstances", he said. "If we want to preserve freedom and if we want to increase justice, then we have to place the value of fraternity or solidarity at the centre of our political thinking".

  After then quoting Paul VI's remark that "development is the new name for peace", he expressed the view that "we have to go a step further and say 'solidarity is the new name for peace'. In formulating this we bring freedom and equality again into a proper balance with solidarity", he said.

  "The Holy Father has pointed us towards two essential conclusions of the Christian understanding of justice: To give up self-sufficiency and to accept our mission with humbleness. This is the compass for any policy that is committed to Christian responsibility - not only in Lent 2010 but far beyond in this twenty-first century with the huge tasks of shaping globalisation which lie ahead".

  "Not without cause does the cry for justice ring out all over the world", said Cardinal Cordes in his remarks. "The world of politics and the coexistence of peoples everywhere needs the various forces of social life to relate to one another. This is the field of justice", which "is downtrodden by violence, by oppression of freedom and lack of respect for human dignity, by bad legislation and the violation of rights, by exploitation and breadline wages".

  "There are, therefore, various social factors which have to be amended; and it must not be forgotten that in this struggle the Church also has her merits", said the cardinal. In this context he recalled how, "following Jesus' example, the first Christians sought to meet the needs of their fellow man", and "later in the Middle Ages ... with the 'Tregua Dei', the men of the Church defended the goods of the common people against the nobility and convened mass gatherings which - to the cry of 'pax, pax, pax' - promoted the enthusiastic desire for peaceful coexistence".

  "In the modern age too, when the European States made colonies of other countries and continents, non infrequently subjecting them to brutal exploitation, Christian missionaries and religious not only brought the inhabitants of those lands to the faith, but often taught them a way and a quality of life".

  "However, whoever dedicates deeper study to the Church's contribution in favour of peaceful understanding among human beings will soon discover that the problem of just coexistence cannot be resolved only though worldly interventions. ... Like the Pope, we too must go beyond the common conception of anthropology and achieve a complete vision of man: thus does the message of justice become clear in its entirety".

  "Evil comes from within, from the human heart, as the Lord says in the Gospel. William Shakespeare and Georges Bernanos revealed this in their works. ... And Stalin - in Ukraine - and Hitler - at Auschwitz - showed no scruples in giving free reign to their own malignity. ... The experience of evil teaches us that it would be ingenuous to entrust ourselves merely to human justice, which only intervenes on structures and behaviour from the outside. It is the heart of man that needs to be healed".

  The president of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum" went on to recall how "this Lenten Message, as it does every year, encourages the men and women of our time to do good. ... But the Pope's words are above all a challenge to our will, to entrust ourselves to God and believe in Him. ... Modern everyday life does not lead us to God. His absence is what distinguishes our daily experience. Once again we discover that the Gospel is not in harmony with bourgeois consensus and, for this reason, must be proclaimed ever and anew".

  "In the last part of his Message, the Pope identifies salvation in Christ as the foundation of human justice", the cardinal concluded. "Faced with the justice of the Cross man may rebel, because it highlights that he is not autonomous but needs Another in order fully to be himself. This, in the end, is what converting to Christ, believing in the Gospel, means".
OP/LENTEN MESSAGE/POETTERING:CORDES        VIS 20100204 (870)