PRESENTATION OF THE LAMBS ON THE FEAST OF ST. AGNES

Vatican City, 21 January 2014 (VIS) – Today, on the liturgical memory of St. Agnes, the lambs which had been blessed in the basilica where the saint is entombed on the Via Nomentana in Rome were presented to the Pope. The wool of these lambs is used to weave the pallia for the new metropolitan archbishops.

The pallium – a white stole adorned with six black crosses – is a liturgical vestment worn by the Pope and the metropolitan archbishops in their Churches and in those of their Provinces. The pallia are stored in a casket near the Confessio Petri and the pontiff bestows them upon the new archbishops on the Solemnity of the Saints Peter and Paul, as a sign of union with the Apostolic See.

The nuns of the Roman convent of San Lorenzo in Panisperna raise the lambs who are offered to the Holy Father by the Canons Regular of the Lateran on the feast day of St. Agnes, martyred in the year 305 and depicted with a lamb according to the traditional iconography.

APOSTOLATE OF THE SEA: STRENGTHENING SOLIDARITY BETWEEN NATIONS

Vatican City, 21 January 2014 (VIS) – “We cannot ignore the pitiful situation in which many fisherman and their families live. … And we offer a special thought for those seafarers who are still being held hostage by pirates, and for their families who await their release”. With these words, Cardinal Antonio Maria Veglio, president of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, inaugurated the Annual Meeting of the Co-ordinators of the Apostolate of the Sea, currently being held in Rome until 24 January. The participants will attend the Pope's general audience tomorrow, 22 January.

In his address, the cardinal made a plea to chaplains and those who are responsible for offering assistance to seafarers to give all possible support to those who are experiencing the drama of kidnapping at sea, and to show their families “the loving face of the Church”. He recalled that Blessed John Paul II had urged the promotion of an ecumenical spirit in the maritime world, to encourage co-operation and mutual co-ordination of projects involving the Episcopal Conferences and local Ordinaries, adapting them to the current scenario. In view of the phenomenon of the opening of new trade routes and the merging of companies in order to maximise efficiency and profit, the cardinal emphasised the need to strengthen solidarity between nations and to share resources.

The Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, to guide the activity of the Apostolate of the Sea more effectively, has divided the world into nine regions: North America and the Caribbean, Latin America, Indian Ocean Africa, Western Africa, Europe, South Asia, South-East Asia, Arab Gulf States and Djibouti.

Speakers at the meeting include Roberto Giorgi, president of the company Vships, world leader in the field of maritime services, in trade, cruises, and the sectors of energy and defence, who will speak about current trends, developments and the main problems the maritime sector will face over the next five years. Msgr. Giacomo Martino, consultor of the dicastery and John Green of the Apostolate of the Sea in Great Britain will speak about the current economic crisis and how networking and sharing pastoral experiences can contribute to facing it. Msgr. Martino will also give a presentation on the tragic subject of the modern slavery that affects a growing number of fisherman who are victims of forced labour on sub-standard ships where their lives are placed at risk, on human trafficking and sexual exploitation. The lawyer Deirdre Fitzpatrick, director of Seafarers' Right International (SRI), which deals with the defence of seamen, will speak about the many violations of their rights.

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

Vatican City, 21 January 2014 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father:

- accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Yoro, Honduras, presented by Bishop Jean-Louis Giasson, P.M.E., in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.

- appointed Rev. Joseph de Metz-Noblat as bishop of Langres (area 6,211, population 194,100, Catholics 142,500, priests 44, permanent deacons 16, religious 85), France. The bishop-elect was born in Cherbourg, France in 1959 and was ordained a priest in 1987. He began a military career, attaining the naval rank of frigate captain, after which he undertook the role of head of personnel in a metal works. He studied philosophy and theology in the major seminary of Metz and then at the Institut Catholique in Paris, where he obtained a licentiate in Canon Law. He has served in the following pastoral roles: vicar in Saint-Michel and Commercy; priest in Triaucourt et Rembercourt and Verdun, chaplain of the Mouvement Eucharistique des Jeunes, head of the diocesan service for vocations, diocesan head of youth pastoral, and superior of the “Saint Jean-Baptiste” interdiocesan preparatory seminary. He has served in the Interdiocesan Tribunal, as Defender of the Bond and as adjunct judicial vicar. He is currently vicar general of Verdun. He succeeds Bishop Philippe Gueneley, whose resignation upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.

POPE FRANCIS THANKS VATICAN PUBLIC SECURITY WORKERS AND AGENTS

Vatican City, 20 January 2014 (VIS) – This morning, for the first time in his pontificate, Pope Francis received in audience the workers and agents of the General Inspectorate for Public Security at the Vatican. It is an entity within the Italian police force, responsible for the protection of the pontiff during his visits within Italian territory and vigilance in St. Peter's Square, in agreement with the authorities of the Holy See.

The Holy Father thanked them for their work, especially in St. Peter's Square. “We are all aware of the need to guarantee the protection of the special characteristics of this unique place, ensuring its nature as a sacred and universal space. This requires a discreet but attentive vigilance. Indeed, in St. Peter's Square people are serene, one moves calmly and is able to appreciate a feeling of peace”.

He also referred to the work carried out by officers during events attended by large numbers of faithful, who come from all over the world to see the Pope or to pray before the tomb of St. Peter or those of his successors, “especially those of John XXIII and John Paul II”. It is a task that requires “technical and professional preparation, along with careful vigilance, politeness and dedication. Pilgrims and tourists, as well as those who work in the various offices of the Holy See, know that they are able to count on your cordial assistance”.

The Bishop of Rome did not neglect to thank them for their efficient activity during the days preceding the Conclave following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, and he took the opportunity provided by today's meeting to renew his sincere thanks, and those of his collaborators, to those who “offered their contribution to ensuring that everything took place with order and calm”.

Finally, he expressed his wish that their service at the Vatican be for each member of the Inspectorate “an opportunity for growth in faith. Faith is the most valuable treasure that your families have entrusted to you, and that you are called upon to transmit to your children. It is important to rediscover the message of the Gospel and to welcome it in the depths of your own conscience and in the reality of everyday life, witnessing God's love with courage in every environment, including the workplace”.

TRUST IN THE LORD: THE KEY TO SUCCESS IN LIFE

Vatican City, 20 January 2014 (VIS) – At 4 p.m. on Sunday the Holy Father visited the Roman parish of “Sacro Cuore di Gesù a Castro Pretorio”. Upon arrival he greeted the faithful of the parish and children baptised during the last few months, accompanied by their parents, recently married couples and young families.

The Pope encountered some aspects of the life of the area, meeting with the poor and homeless who live close to Termini Station and a group of refugees whom he encouraged to feel at home.

He confessed five penitents and at 6 p.m. celebrated the Eucharist in the basilica. The Pope's homily drew on the passage of the Gospel in which John baptises Jesus, saying “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”.

“Jesus is called the Lamb: He is the Lamb Who takes upon Himself the sin of the world. One might think, how can a little lamb, so weak, take on so many sins, so much malice? With love. With his meekness. Jesus never ceased to be a lamb: meek, good, full of love, close to the little ones, close to the poor. … But he had the strength to bear the weight of all our sins, all of them. 'But, Father, you don't know my life: I have one that... I wouldn't be able to carry that weight, even with a truck'. So often, when we look into our conscience, we find some sins that are very great! But He takes them on. He came to us for this reason – to forgive, to make peace in the world, but first of all in our hearts. Perhaps some of us have sorrow in our hearts, perhaps we have darkness in our hearts, perhaps we feel a little sad for the guilt we bear... He came to relieve us of all this - He gives us peace, and He forgives all”.

“We often place our trust in a doctor, and this is good, because doctors are there to cure us. We trust in people: brothers and sisters who are able to help us. It is good to have this human trust between us. But we forget our trust in the Lord: and this is the key to success in life. Trust in the Lord – let us entrust ourselves to the Lord!”. He concluded, “this is a gamble we must take: to entrust ourselves to Him. And He never disappoints. Never, never! Listen carefully, boys and girls, those of you who are starting out in life now: Jesus never disappoints”.

Pope Francis concluded his visit by meeting with the Salesian community in charge of the parish, Fr. Valerio Baresi S.D.B., and the Missionary Sisters of the Risen Christ. Finally, before returning to the Vatican, the Holy Father paused to speak with the young people of the parish.