THE POPE RECEIVES PRESIDENT HOLLANDE: CONSTRUCTIVE COLLABORATION IN MATTERS OF COMMON INTEREST

Vatican City, 24 January 2014 (VIS) – This morning, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father received in audience the president of the French Republic, Francois Hollande, who subsequently went on to meet with Archbishop Pietro Parolin, secretary of State, accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.

The colloquial discussions focused on the contribution of religion to the common good. Emphasising the good existing relations between France and the Holy See, the Parties made mention of their mutual commitment to maintaining a regular dialogue between the State and the Catholic Church and to collaborating constructively in questions of common interest. In the context of the defence and the promotion of the dignity of the human person, various matters of current relevance were discussed, such as the family, bioethics, respect for religious communities and the protection of places of worship.

Attention then turned to matters of an international nature, such as poverty and development, migration and the environment, and in particular to the issue of conflicts in the Middle East and in some regions of Africa, and hope was expressed that peaceful social co-existence may be re-established in the countries affected, respecting the rights of all, especially ethnic and religious minorities.

THE POPE TO THE ROMAN ROTA: BEHIND EVERY PLEA THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO SEEK JUSTICE

Vatican City, 24 January 2014 (VIS) – “Your ministry, dear judges and employees of the Roman Rota Tribunal … is a service peculiar to the God of Love, who is close to every person. While you perform your judicial duties, do not forget that you are pastors! Behind every plea, every position, every case, there are people who seek justice”.

With these words the Pope addressed the prelate auditors, employees and collaborators of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota, whom he encountered today for the first time during his pontificate for the opening of the judicial year, recalling that “the legal dimension and the pastoral dimension of ecclesial ministry are not opposed to one another, as both contribute to the aims and the unity of action proper to the Church”.

“Ecclesial judicial activity, which takes the form of service to the truth in justice, has indeed a profoundly pastoral meaning, as it aspires to the pursuit of the good of the faithful and the edification of the Christian community. … Furthermore, dear judges, through your specific ministry you offer a competent contribution to facing emerging pastoral issues”.

Pope Francis went on to briefly outline the profile of the ecclesiastical judge from human, judicial and pastoral perspectives. With regard to the first, the judge is required to demonstrate “a mature humanity, expressed in serenity of judgement and detachment from personal views. Human maturity also includes the capacity to identify with the mentality and legitimate aspirations of the community in which the judge serves. In this way he becomes an interpreter of the animus communitatis which characterises the part of the People of God that is the subject of his work, and is able to practice a form of justice that is not legalistic or abstract, but instead adapted to real needs”.

With regard to the judicial aspect, aside from the juridical and theological prerequisites, in the exercise of his ministry the judge must display “expertise in law, the objectivity of judgement and equity, judging with imperturbable and impartial neutrality. Furthermore, in his work he must be guided by the aim of protecting the truth, with respect for the law, without neglecting the tact and humanity appropriate to a pastor of souls”.

Finally, considering the pastoral profile, “as an expression of the pastoral care of the Pope and the bishops, the judge is required to show not only confirmed competence, but also a genuine spirit of service. He is a servant of justice, called to handle and judge the condition of the faithful who turn to him with trust, in imitation of the Good Shepherd who tends to his injured sheep. For this, he is inspired by pastoral charity; that charity that God has poured into our hearts … and which also constitutes the soul of the role of the ecclesiastical judge”, concluded the Holy Father.

AUDIENCES

Vatican City, 24 January 2014 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father received in audience:

- Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Muller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

- Bishop Pio Vito Pinto, dean of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota.

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

Vatican City, 24 January 2014 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father:

- appointed Bishop Ronald William Gainer, bishop of Lexington, U.S.A., as bishop of Harrisburg (area 19,839, population 2,224,542, Catholics 249,238, priests 169, permanent deacons 69, religious 369), U.S.A.

- appointed Rev. Herwig Gossl as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Bamberg (area 10,290, population 2,163,801, Catholics 713,781, priests 475, permanent deacons 49, religious 778), Germany. The bishop-elect was born in Munich, Germany in 1967 and was ordained a priest in 1993. He studied philosophy and theology at the universities of Bamberg and Innsbruck, and has served in a number of pastoral roles in various parishes in Bayreuth, Hannberg and Weisendorf. In 2006 he was appointed as priest of the parish group of Erlangen North-West. In 2007 he was appointed vice-rector of the major seminary of Bamberg and member of the diocesan liturgical commission, and in 2008 was appointed vice-rector of the seminary of Wurzburg and head of vocational pastoral care.

- appointed Msgr. Myron Joseph Cotta of the clergy of Fresno, U.S.A., as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Sacramento (area 110,325, population 3,589,000, Catholics 997,000, priests 291, permanent deacons 143, religious 316), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in Dos Palos, U.S.A. in 1953, and was ordained a priest in 1987. He has served in a number of roles, including vicar of the Saint Anthony parish in Adwater, administrator of the Our Lady of Fatima shrine in Laton, priest of the Our Lady of Miracles parish in Gustine, parish administrator of the Holy Rosary parish in Hilmar, director of the office for the permanent formation of the clergy, director of Pastoral Support of Priests, director of the Sensitive Claim Board, member of the diocesan finance council, diocesan administrator, member of the diocesan personnel board, diocesan consultor, vicar general and moderator of the Curia. In 2002 he was appointed Chaplain of His Holiness and, in 2008, Prelate of Honour.

A CHURCH WHO WISHES TO COMMUNICATE

Vatican City, 23 January 2014 (VIS) – This morning a press conference was held in the Holy See Press Office during which Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, and Professor Chiara Giaccardi of the faculty of philosophy and letters of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan, Italy, presented the Holy Father's message for the 48th World Day of Social Communication, entitled, “Communication at the service of an authentic culture of encounter”.

Archbishop Celli explained that “in the message, there clearly emerges the image of a Church who wishes to communicate, who wishes to enter into dialogue with men and women of today, aware of the role that has been entrusted to her in this context. The Pope has mentioned the theme of the culture of encounter many times, inviting the Church and her members to face various dimensions and needs specific to this culture. In the text two broad wavelengths can be seen. The first part of the message is directed towards the world of communication in the lay context, in which the Pope offers useful reflections for those who have not taken the religious option in life but who are nonetheless called upon to perceive or are already aware of the profound human value of the world of communication”.

“However, it is in addressing the Lord's disciples that the message demonstrates its specific tone, depth and frequency, and the reference to the parable of the good Samaritan is particularly evocative, as it helps us to understand communication in terms of proximity to others. … From this perspective, a challenge emerges to all of us who endeavour to be the Lord's disciples: to discover that the digital network can be a place rich in humanity, a network not of cables but rather of human beings”.

The president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications emphasised that the message is “eminently Franciscan”, as it shows a profound harmony between the image of the Church as portrayed by the Pope and the world of communication. “It is undeniable that speaking about the culture of encounter means focusing on others, and the Church may not abdicate her role of 'accompanying, of going beyond merely listening; a Church who walks the path alongside us'. Three words resound in these texts: neighbourliness, solidarity, encounter. … If the culture of encounter means attention to and solidarity with man in the reality of the path he walks daily, then it must be able, through respectful dialogue, to lead today's men and women towards the encounter with Christ”.

In her address, Professor Giaccardi observed that, taking as a starting point the fundamental dimension of encounter, the Pope's document offers at least three clear indications for interpreting the contemporary world where the means of communication, above all the digital media, are almost omnipresent. “First of all”, she said, “communication is by definition a human, rather than a technological conquest. Technology may facilitate or hinder, but it does not determine. … If the anthropological dimension prevails over the technological, then any form of determinism should be denied. The internet does not make us more sociable, nor does it cause us to be more alone. We must not, therefore, use it as an alibi or as a scapegoat instead of assuming our own responsibilities. Secondly, understanding communication in terms of solidarity, rather than transmission (which may easily take place from a distance), has profound implications for education, formation, training, and catechesis. … Thirdly, when the word and life are in profound harmony, the communicator is credible. Witness, or rather the word incarnate, brings warmth and beauty to all paths, digital ones included”.

Finally, Giaccardi commented on the image of the good Samaritan, referred to by the Pope in the message as the “parable of the communicator”, emphasising that “the Samaritan was neither a technician nor a specialist”, and that “knowledge or social prestige are not enough to make us capable of communicating, let alone fully human; it is a reproach to the 'Church of functionaries', but also to journalists (and intellectuals) and their world which is certainly not immune to self-referentiality”.

“Journalists, and also academics, must decide which side they are on: the world is injured and journalists depict this, by their 'right to inform', claiming neutrality and objectivity, then pass on to the next story. Or worse, they can be scoundrels who manipulate and distort reality, without giving due consideration to the consequences of their actions and their words, in order to obtain personal advantage. Or, on the other hand, they can be like the good Samaritan, who looks benevolently upon the wounded … who tries to help him as best he can, and calls others to action, giving rise to a chain reaction on the basis of his witness”.