BENIN PREPARES TO WELCOME THE POPE

VATICAN CITY, 15 NOV 2011 (VIS) - A press conference was held yesterday in the Holy See Press Office to present the visit of Benedict XVI to Benin, which is due to begin on Friday 18 November and to come to an end on Sunday 20 November, Solemnity of Christ the King.

  Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J. outlined the most important reasons for the Pope's return to Africa following his 2009 trip to Angola and Cameroon, first among them the signing of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops. The signing ceremony is due to take place in the presence of thirty-five presidents of national episcopal conferences, and the seven heads of the continent's regional conferences.

  Secondly Benin, a small African county of scarcely nine million inhabitants, has always been a place of great spiritual importance for the Church. It was, in fact, from Benin that, 150 years ago, the great work of evangelisation spread into neighbouring countries, from Togo to Ghana and Niger. Thus, Fr. Lombardi explained, the Pope's visit has raised great expectations. "It will certainly arouse an atmosphere of hope for the African Church, and be an encouragement to the continent of Africa as a whole. Naturally, it will emphasise existing problems, but from a positive perspective, underlining commitment to reconciliation, justice and peace, and the announcement of the Gospel as part of man's integral development. In other words, the trip seeks to be extremely constructive".

  Another key moment will be the Pope's visit to the tomb of the Beninese Cardinal Bernardin Gantin, who died in 2008 but is still much loved by his people, Fr. Lombardi explained. This affection is shared by the Holy Father because Cardinal Gantin "was very close to the Pope for various reasons, having been prefect of the Congregation for Bishops at the time that Benedict XVI was prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and having been his immediate predecessor as dean of the College of Cardinals. In Benin he is considered as a national hero, a person who enjoys truly immense public affection. For this reason, the Pope's visit to his tomb will be one of the most significant episodes of the trip".

  In closing the director of the Holy See Press Office turned his attention to the artistic and cultural event scheduled to take place in Cotonou on the evening of Friday 18 November. It will bring together three major African singers - Papa Wemba, Bonga and Fifito - in a concert which will have the themes of peace, justice and reconciliation.
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STATISTICS FOR THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN BENIN

VATICAN CITY, 15 NOV 2011 (VIS) - For the occasion of Benedict XVI's apostolic trip to Benin to sign the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops, due to take place from 18 to 20 November, statistics have been published concerning the Catholic Church in that country. The information, updated to 31 December 2010, comes from the Central Statistical Office of the Church.

  Benin, the capital of which is Porto Novo, has a surface area of 112,622 square kilometres and a population of 8,779,000 of whom 2,984,000 (34 per cent) are Catholic. There are 10 ecclesiastical circumscriptions, 338 parishes and 801 parish centres. Currently there are 11 bishops, 811 priests, 1,386 religious, 30 lay members of secular institutes and 11,251 catechists. Minor seminarians number 308 and major seminarians 497.

  A total of 57,771 students attend 234 centres of Catholic education, from kindergartens to universities. Other institutions belonging to the Church or run by priests or religious in Benin include 12 hospitals, 64 clinics, 3 leper colonies, 7 homes for the elderly or disabled, 41 orphanages and nurseries, 3 family counselling centres and other pro-life centres, and 3 institutions of other kinds.
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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 15 NOV 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

 - Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Feldkirch, Austria, presented by Bishop Elmar Fischer, upon having reached the age limit.

 - Appointed Archbishop Adriano Bernardini, apostolic nuncio to Argentina, as apostolic nuncio to Italy and to the Republic of San Marino.
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SAVING ONE LIFE CANNOT JUSTIFY DESTROYING ANOTHER

VATICAN CITY, 12 NOV 2011 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican, the Holy Father received a group of 250 participants in an international conference entitled "Adult Stem Cells: Science and the Future of Man and Culture", promoted by the Pontifical Council for Culture in collaboration with the U.S. Stem for Life Foundation. The three-day meeting examined the use of adult stem cells in medicine, both from the perspective of science, and from that of its cultural, ethical and anthropological implications.

Extracts of Benedict XVI's English-language remarks are given below:

"Since human beings are endowed with immortal souls and are created in the image and likeness of God, there are dimensions of human existence that lie beyond the limits of what the natural sciences are competent to determine. If these limits are transgressed, there is a serious risk that the unique dignity and inviolability of human life could be subordinated to purely utilitarian considerations. But if instead these limits are duly respected, science can make a truly remarkable contribution to promoting and safeguarding the dignity of man".

"In this sense, the potential benefits of adult stem cell research are very considerable, since it opens up possibilities for healing chronic degenerative illnesses by repairing damaged tissue. ... The improvement that such therapies promise would constitute a significant step forward in medical science, bringing fresh hope to sufferers and their families alike. For this reason, the Church naturally offers her encouragement to those who are engaged in conducting and supporting research of this kind, always with the proviso that it be carried out with due regard for the integral good of the human person and the common good of society.

"This proviso is most important. The pragmatic mentality that so often influences decision-making in the world today is all too ready to sanction whatever means are available in order to attain the desired end, despite ample evidence of the disastrous consequences of such thinking. When the end in view is one so eminently desirable as the discovery of a cure for degenerative illnesses, it is tempting for scientists and policy-makers to brush aside ethical objections and to press ahead with whatever research seems to offer the prospect of a breakthrough. Those who advocate research on embryonic stem cells in the hope of achieving such a result make the grave mistake of denying the inalienable right to life of all human beings from the moment of conception to natural death. The destruction of even one human life can never be justified in terms of the benefit that it might conceivably bring to another.

"Yet, in general, no such ethical problems arise when stem cells are taken from the tissues of an adult organism, from the blood of the umbilical cord at the moment of birth".

"Dialogue between science and ethics is of the greatest importance in order to ensure that medical advances are never made at unacceptable human cost. The Church contributes to this dialogue by helping to form consciences in accordance with right reason and in the light of revealed truth. In so doing she seeks, not to impede scientific progress, but on the contrary to guide it in a direction that is truly fruitful and beneficial to humanity, ... with a particular regard for the weakest and most vulnerable.

"In drawing attention to the needs of the defenceless, the Church thinks not only of the unborn but also of those without easy access to expensive medical treatment. ... Justice demands that every effort be made to place the fruits of scientific research at the disposal of all who stand to benefit from them, irrespective of their means. ... Here the Church is able to offer concrete assistance through her extensive healthcare apostolate, active in so many countries across the globe and directed with particular solicitude to the needs of the world's poor".

"I pray that your commitment to adult stem cell research will bring great blessings for the future of man".
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HOLY FATHER MEETS WITH PRESIDENT OF EUROPEAN COUNCIL

VATICAN CITY, 12 NOV 2011 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the following communique at midday today:

"This morning His Holiness Benedict XVI received in audience Herman Van Rompuy, president of the European Council. The president subsequently went on to meet with Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. who was accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.

"The discussions, which took place in an atmosphere of great cordiality, provided an opportunity for a fruitful exchange of opinions on the international situation, and on the contribution the Catholic Church wishes to make to the European Union.

"In the course of the meeting, attention also turned to the promotion of human rights and, in particular, of religious freedom".
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