PRAYING WITH MOZART ON THE THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF THE TSUNAMI IN JAPAN

Vatican City, 11 March 2014 (VIS) – The concert “Mozart's Requiem for Japan from the Vatican” will be held today in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside-the-Walls to commemorate the third anniversary of the earthquake that occurred in Japan on 11 March 2011. This initiative, organised with the patronage of the Japanese embassy to the Holy See, is intended to raise prayers for the victims of the tsunami and the earthquake that afflicted Japan in 2011.

The Gioacchino Rossini Symphony Orchestra of Pesaro and the San Carlo choir from the same city, conducted by the maestro Daniele Agiman, will perform Mozart's Requiem at 8 p.m. Entry to the concert is free and open to all those who wish to participate in this act of remembrance for this tragic event which cost the lives of over fifteen thousand people, caused fifty thousand casualties and left four thousand missing.

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

Vatican City, 11 March 2014 (VIS) – The Holy Father has appointed Fr. Placide Lubamba Ndjibu, M. Afr., as bishop of Kasongo (area 75,300, population 1,700,000, Catholics 570,000, priests 59, religious 21), Democratic Republic of Congo. The bishop-elect was born in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo in 1959, and was ordained a priest in 1991. He completed his studies in theology at the Catholic Institute of Tolosa, France, and studied journalism and social communications at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. He has served in a number of pastoral roles, including priest of the “Sacred Heart” parish in Manzeze, Tanzania, editor of the KARIBU bulletin in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo, and chaplain of the Wima High School and the Saio military camp, Bukavu, and priest of the “St. Bernadette” parish in Lubumbashi. Since 2010 he is the provincial of the White Fathers for Central Africa (Burundi, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo).

ANGELUS: DO NOT ENTER INTO DIALOGUE WITH SATAN – ONLY GOD'S WORD WILL SAVE US

Vatican City, 10 March 2014 (VIS) – At midday today, the first Sunday of Lent, the Holy Father appeared at the window of his study to pray the Angelus with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square. The Bishop of Rome commented that every year the Gospel of the first Sunday of Lent presents Jesus' temptations, and he mentioned that the tempter seeks to divert the Lord from His Father's plan, or rather the way of sacrifice that involves offering Himself in atonement and with love, and attempts to make Him choose the easy path of success and power.

“Indeed, the devil, to divert Jesus from the way of the cross, presents Him with false messianic hopes: economic well-being, as indicated by the possibility of turning stones into bread; a miraculous and spectacular style as seen in the idea of throwing Himself off the highest point of the temple of Jerusalem, to be saved by angels, and finally a shortcut to power and domination, in exchange for His open worship of Satan".

Jesus, the Pope explained, "firmly rejects all these temptations and reiterates His determination to follow the path set out by the Father, without compromising with sin and with the logic of the world. … This is why Jesus, instead of entering into a dialogue like Eve, chooses to take refuge in God's Word and responds with the power of this Word. We should remember this when we are tempted ourselves: do not argue with Satan, always defend ourselves with the Word of God. And this will save us".

“In his response to Satan, the Lord reminds us, first, that 'man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God', and this gives us strength, supporting us in our battle against the worldly mentality that reduces man to the level of his most basic needs and causing him to lose his hunger for what is true, good and beautiful, the hunger for God and His love. Remember too that it is also written: 'Do not test the Lord your God', because the road of faith also passes through darkness and doubt, and is nourished by patience and perseverance. Finally, remember that it is written: 'The Lord, your God, shall you worship and Him alone shall you serve', that is, we have rid ourselves of idols, of vain things, and build our lives on the essentials”.

“Lent is a fitting occasion for all of us to undertake a journey of conversion, giving sincere consideration to this Gospel passage”, concluded Pope Francis. “Let us renew the promises of our Baptism: renouncing Satan and all his works and seduction, to walk the path of God to reach Easter in the joy of the Spirit".

THE POPE TO TRAVEL TO KOREA IN AUGUST

Vatican City, 10 March 2014 (VIS) – This morning the Holy See Press Office issued a press release to communicate that the Holy Father Francis will travel to the Republic of Korea from 14-18 August, on the occasion of the Sixth Asian Youth Day, which will take place in the diocese of Daejeon.

PRESS RELEASE ON THE APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL FOR THE ECONOMY

Vatican City, 8 March 2014 (VIS) – Below is the full text of the press release issued this morning by the Holy See Press Office on the appointment of eight cardinals and seven expert laypersons as members of the Council for the Economy:

“Proceeding in the constitution of the new institutions created by the Motu proprio 'Fidelis dispensator et prudens' of 24 February 2014, the Holy Father has appointed eight cardinals and seven expert laypersons as members of the Council for the Economy, to serve for a five-year period:

- Cardinal Reinhard Marx, archbishop of Munich and Freising, Germany (coordinator);

- Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne, archbishop of Lima, Peru;

- Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, archbishop of Galveston-Houston, U.S.A.;

- Cardinal Wilfrid Fox Napier, archbishop of Durban, South Africa;

- Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, archbishop of Bordeaux, France;

- Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, archbishop of Mexico;

- Cardinal John Tong Hon, bishop of Hong Kong, China;

- Cardinal Agostino Vallini, vicar general of His Holiness for the diocese of Rome;

- Joseph F. X. Zahra, Malta (deputy coordinator);

- Jean-Baptiste de Franssu, France;

- John Kyle, Canada;

- Enrique Llano Cueto, Spain;

- Jochen Messemer, Germany;

- Francesco Vermiglio, Italy;

- George Yeo, Singapore.”