THE POPE CHOOSES THE BEATITUDES AS THE THEME FOR THE NEXT WORLD YOUTH DAY

Vatican City, 7 November 2013 (VIS) – The Holy Father has decided on the themes for the next three World Youth Days, which will mark a three-year itinerary of spiritual preparation that will culminate with the international World Youth Day with the Successor of Peter scheduled to be held in Krakow, Poland in July 2016.

Twenty-ninth World Youth Day, 2014

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 5:3).

Thirtieth World Youth Day 2015

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Mt. 5:8).

Thirty-first World Youth Day 2016 (Krakow)

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy” (Mt. 5:7).

AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE HOLY SEE AND THE REPUBLIC OF CHAD ON THE LEGAL STATUS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

Vatican City, 7 November 2013 (VIS) – On Wednesday 6 November in the seat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Yamena, the capital of Chad, an agreement was signed between the Holy See and the Republic of Chad regarding the legal status of the Catholic Church in Chad.

It was signed on behalf of the Holy See by Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Okolo, apostolic nuncio in Chad, and for the Republic of Chad by Moussa Faki Mahamat, minister of Foreign Affairs and African Integration.

The agreement, which consists of eighteen articles, will enter into force upon exchange of the instruments of ratification; it recognises the legal personality of the Catholic Church and the ecclesiastical institutions and, establishing a legal framework for the relations between the Church and the State, affirms the social value of their collaboration for the promotion of the dignity of the human person in order to build a more just and peaceful society.

EVANGELISING THE SOUL OF EUROPE: BISHOPS RESPONSIBLE FOR COMMUNICATION MEET IN BARCELONA

Vatican City, 7 November 2013 (VIS) – With the theme “Evangelising the soul of Europe”, the bishops responsible for social communication of the European Episcopal Conferences will meet for three days in Barcelona, Spain, to discuss the challenges and instruments available to communicate the Gospel in the context of contemporary Europe, in a state of constant flux.

The meeting, promoted by the Council of European Bishops' Conferences (CCEE) Commission on Social Communications, presided by Bishop Jose Ignacio Munilla Aguirre of San Sebastian, Spain, will open tomorrow afternoon with a discussion by Cardinal Lluis Martinez Sistach, archbishop of Barcelona, on innovative communications in his archdiocese and a presentation of the new CCEE website. This will be followed by a debate chaired by Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli on the fifty years that have passed since the “Inter mirifica” decree, its history, and the changes that have occurred since its publication.

Among other topics, on 9 November there will be a discussion on “marketing the Gospel”, or rather, how commercial means of communication can be used for proclaiming the Gospel; technology in the service of the Church, and the communication of Pope Francis.

In the city of Antonio Gaudi, the European bishops will also have the opportunity to consider the role of architecture in the communication of the beauty of creation, and on Sunday, 10 November, at the end of the meeting, they will visit the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia, guided by the architect Jordi Bonet, who will describe how the work of Gaudi may be interpreted as an inseparable unity of liturgy and architecture.

AUDIENCES

Vatican City, 7 November 2013 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in audience:

- Cardinal Fernando Filoni, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples.

- Cardinal Jozef Tomko, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for the International Eucharistic Congresses.

- Archbishop Leon Kalenga Badikebele, apostolic nuncio to El Salvador and Belize.

- Michael Nazir-Ali, former Anglican bishop of Rochester.

- Han Thomas Hong-soon, ambassador of Korea, on his farewell visit.

THE CHARISMS ARE A WAY OF GROWING IN FAITH

Vatican City, 6 November 2013 (VIS) – The communion of holy persons who grow through participation in spiritual goods, and above all the Sacraments, the charisms and charity, was the theme of Pope Francis' catechesis during today's general audience.

In the Sacraments, each one of us is “incorporated in Christ and united with the entire community of believers. Therefore, if one the one hand there is the Church who 'makes' the Sacraments, on the other there are the Sacraments which 'make' the Church, edifying her, generating new sons, and joining them to the holy people of God”. Furthermore, “the Sacraments offer us the impetus to become missionaries, and the apostolic commitment to taking the faith to all places, even the most hostile, is the most authentic fruit of a steadfast sacramental life, inasmuch as it constitutes participation in God's salvific plan, which aims at bringing salvation to all”.

The second aspect of communion in holy things is the communion of charisms. “The Holy Spirit dispenses a multitude of gifts and spiritual graces to the faithful … for the edification of the Church”, explained the Pope. “Therefore, they are not given for the benefit of the recipient, but for use by the people of God. … The charisms are particular graces, given to some for the good of many others”, and “they are born in the conscience and experience of certain persons, called to put their gifts at the service of the community. In particular, these spiritual gifts are are of benefit to the sanctity of the Church and her mission”.

Charity is the third aspect of this communion with spiritual goods. “The charisms are important in the life of the Christian community, but they are always means of growing in charity, which St. Paul places above the charisms. Without love”, Pope Francis emphasised, “even the most extraordinary gifts are in vain, while the smallest of our gestures of love brings good to all. … This brotherly solidarity is not a rhetorical figure, a figure of speech, but rather an integral part of communion between Christians. If we live this solidarity, we are a sign to the world, a 'sacrament' of God's love”.

“This is not that easy charity that we offer between ourselves, but instead something deeper: it is a communion that makes us able to enter into the joy and the pain of others in order to sincerely make them our own. And often we are too arid, indifferent and detached, and instead of transmitting brotherliness, we transmit ill-humour, coldness and selfishness. And with ill-humour, coldness and selfishness, one cannot help the Church to grow; the Church grows only with the love that comes from the Holy Spirit”.

“And I would now like to ask of you an act of charity”, said the Holy Father to the tens of thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, and added jokingly, “Don't worry! It's not a collection! Before coming to the Square, I went to see a seriously ill child aged just one and a half. Her mother and father pray and implore the Lord to cure their daughter. She is called Noemi and she smiled, poor girl. Let us carry out an act of love; we do not know her but she is a baptized child, she is one of us, a Christian. Let us ask the Lord to help her in this moment and to give her health: first in silence, and then let us pray the Hail Mary”.

Silence fell over the square for a moment, after which the Pope said, “And now let us pray together to the Virgin for the health of Noemi. … Thank you for this act of charity”, he concluded, after more than fifty thousand people recited the Hail Mary in unison.