MBN: THE MONTE BUBBLES NETWORK

- Continue Theological Dialogue Despite Difficulties

- Declaration of Pope and Archbishop of Canterbury

- Telegram for Miners Killed in Polish Disaster

- Audiences

- Other Pontifical Acts

 

CONTINUE THEOLOGICAL DIALOGUE DESPITE DIFFICULTIES VATICAN CITY, NOV 23, 2006 (VIS) - Today in the Vatican, Benedict XVI received the primate of the Anglican Communion, Archbishop Rowan Williams of Canterbury, England. The archbishop's visit to Rome is taking place 40 years after the meeting between Pope Paul VI and the then archbishop of Canterbury, Michael Ramsey.

In his address, the Holy Father, speaking English, recalled both that anniversary and the long history of relations between the See of Rome and the See of Canterbury, which began more than 1400 years ago. He also thanked Archbishop Williams and other representatives of the Anglican Communion for their presence at the funeral of John Paul II and at the inauguration of his own pontificate.

"There is much in our relations over the past forty years for which we must give thanks," said the Holy Father. "The work of the theological dialogue commission; ... the friendship and good relations which exist in many places between Anglicans and Catholics [that] have helped to create a new context in which our shared witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been nourished and advanced; the visits of archbishops of Canterbury to the Holy See;" and the "constructive meeting of Anglican and Catholic bishops in Mississauga, Canada, in May 2000, when it was agreed to form a joint commission of bishops to discern appropriate ways to express in ecclesial life the progress which has already been made."

"In the present context, however," he went on, "and especially in the secularized Western world, there are many negative influences and pressures which affect Christians and Christian communities. ... Recent developments, especially concerning the ordained ministry and certain moral teachings, have affected not only internal relations within the Anglican Communion but also relations between the Anglican Communion and the Catholic Church.

"We believe," he added, "that these matters, which are presently under discussion within the Anglican Communion, are of vital importance to the preaching of the Gospel in its integrity, and that your current discussions will shape the future of our relations. It is to be hoped that the work of the theological dialogue, which had registered no small degree of agreement on these and other important theological matters, will continue to be taken seriously."

"The world needs our witness and the strength which comes from an undivided proclamation of the Gospel," the Holy Father concluded. "Precisely for this reason, and even amidst present difficulties, it is important that we continue our theological dialogue. I hope that your visit will assist in finding constructive ways forward in the current circumstances."

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DECLARATION OF POPE AND ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

VATICAN CITY, NOV 23, 2006 (VIS) - Following their private meeting this morning, the Pope and the archbishop of Canterbury signed a Common Declaration in the presence of members of the Anglican delegation accompanying the archbishop, and of Catholic representatives led by Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, archbishop of Westminster.

In their English-language declaration, Benedict XVI and Archbishop Williams note that 40 years ago their predecessors, Paul VI and Archbishop Michael Ramsey, undertook "to establish a dialogue in which matters which had been divisive in the past might be addressed from a fresh perspective with truth and love."

"True ecumenism," they write, "goes beyond theological dialogue; it touches our spiritual lives and our common witness. As our dialogue has developed, many Catholics and Anglicans have found in each other a love for Christ which invites us into practical cooperation and service."

"The International Anglican - Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission (IARCCUM) has been engaged in an exploration of the appropriate ways in which our shared mission to proclaim new life in Christ to the world can be advanced and nurtured. Their report ... has recently been completed and submitted for review to the Anglican Communion Office and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and we express our gratitude for their work."

They continue: "In this fraternal visit, we celebrate the good which has come from these four decades of dialogue. We are grateful to God for the gifts of grace which have accompanied them. At the same time, our long journey together makes it necessary to acknowledge publicly the challenge represented by new developments which, besides being divisive for Anglicans, present serious obstacles to our ecumenical progress. It is a matter of urgency, therefore, that in renewing our commitment to pursue the path towards full visible communion in the truth and love of Christ, we also commit ourselves in our continuing dialogue to address the important issues involved in the emerging ecclesiological and ethical factors making that journey more difficult and arduous.

"As Christian leaders facing the challenges of the new millennium, we affirm again our public commitment to the revelation of divine life uniquely set forth by God in the divinity and humanity of Our Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that it is through Christ and the means of salvation found in Him that healing and reconciliation are offered to us and to the world."

The Holy Father and the primate of the Anglican Communion recognize that "there are many areas of witness and service in which we can stand together, and which indeed call for closer cooperation between us: the pursuit of peace in the Holy Land and in other parts of the world marred by conflict and the threat of terrorism; promoting respect for life from conception until natural death; protecting the sanctity of marriage and the well-being of children in the context of healthy family life; outreach to the poor, oppressed and the most vulnerable, especially those who are persecuted for their faith; addressing the negative effects of materialism; and care for creation and for our environment. We also commit ourselves to inter-religious dialogue through which we can jointly reach out to our non-Christian brothers and sisters."

Following the signing ceremony, the Holy Father and the archbishop of Canterbury went to the Vatican's "Redemptoris Mater" Chapel where together they prayed the "Hora media" in the presence of the Anglican and Catholic delegations.

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TELEGRAM FOR MINERS KILLED IN POLISH DISASTER

VATICAN CITY, NOV 23, 2006 (VIS) - Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. has sent a telegram, in the Holy Father's name, to Metropolitan Archbishop Damian Zimon of Katowice, Poland, for Tuesday's accident at the Halemba coal mine in which 23 miners were killed.

"The Holy Father commends," the cardinal writes, "the souls of the dead to the mercy of God, asking Him to accept the offer of their labors and their life, and to introduce them to His glory. ... With a cordial prayer, he embraces the families of the dead, and everyone weeping their sudden loss. Upon them, he imparts his apostolic blessing, which he also extends to the entire archdiocese of Katowice."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 23, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Two prelates from the Italian Episcopal Conference, on their "ad limina" visit:

- Bishop Gianfranco De Luca of Termoli-Lariano.

- Bishop Domenico Angelo Scotti of Trivento.

This evening he is scheduled to receive in audience directors and employees of the Vatican Museums.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 23, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Cardinal Ivan Dias, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, as counsellor to the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

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- Paul, the Life of the Church

- Pope to Lebanese: Do Not Be Overcome by Hatred

- Note by Fr. Lombardi on Benedict XVI's Forthcoming Book

- Other Pontifical Acts

 

PAUL, THE LIFE OF THE CHURCHVATICAN CITY, NOV 22, 2006 (VIS) - The Church in the life and thought of St. Paul, the last in a series of lessons focussing on the figure of the Apostle, was the theme of Benedict XVI's catechesis during the general audience, held this morning in a rain-swept St. Peter's Square.

The Pope recalled how St. Paul's "first contact with the person of Jesus came about through the witness of the Christian community of Jerusalem. ... This gives us the opportunity to make a first important observation: normally we come to Jesus, either to accept Him or refuse Him, through the mediation of the community of believers."

"In a certain way this also happened to St. Paul," said the Pope, although in Paul's case "adherence to the Church was facilitated by a direct intervention of Christ, Who, revealing Himself on the road to Damascus, identified Himself with the Church and made Paul understand that to persecute the Church was to persecute Him. ... From this we can understand why the Church was so present in the thoughts, heart and activity of St. Paul."

He "founded many Churches in the various cities he visited as an evangelizer." And "in his Letters, Paul also explains his doctrine on the Church. ... Particularly well-known is his definition of the Church as the 'body of Christ,' which is not to be found in other first-century Christian writers."

"The deepest roots of this surprising definition of the Church," the Holy Father went on, "are to be found in the Sacrament of the body of Christ. ... In the Eucharist, Christ gives us His Body and makes us His Body. ... In this way, Paul brings us to understand that not only does the Church belong to Christ, but that there is also some form of equivalence and identification between the Church and Christ. Thence springs the greatness and nobility of the Church, in other words, of all of us who, as limbs of Christ, are part of the Church, almost an extension of His personal presence in the world."

"Thence also derive Paul's exhortations regarding the various charisms that animate and give structure to the Christian community," the Holy Father affirmed. "However, it is important that all such charisms work together to build the community and do not become a cause of its break-up."

"Of course, underscoring the need for unity does not mean that ecclesial life must be rendered uniform and dull. ... However, if there is one criterion that Paul holds dear it is that of mutual edification. ... One of the Pauline Letters even goes so far as to present the Church as the bride of Christ, ... both in the sense that love must be exchanged," and that "we must be passionately faithful to Him."

Benedict XVI concluded: "In the final analysis, what is involved is a relationship of communion: vertically between Jesus Christ and all of us, but also horizontally among all those who identify themselves in the world by calling 'on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ'."

AG/ST. PAUL/... VIS 061122 (520)POPE TO LEBANESE: DO NOT BE OVERCOME BY HATREDVATICAN CITY, NOV 22, 2006 (VIS) - At the end of today's general audience, Benedict XVI mentioned the attack yesterday in Lebanon in which Pierre Gemayel, the country's industry minister, was assassinated.

"I firmly condemn this brutal attack," said Pope Benedict, "and give assurances of my prayers and my spiritual closeness to the family in mourning, and to the beloved Lebanese people. In the face of the dark forces that seek to destroy the country, I invite all Lebanese not to allow themselves to be overcome by hatred, but to reinforce national unity, justice and reconciliation, and to work together to build a future of peace. Finally, I invite leaders of the nations that have the fate of this region at heart to contribute to finding a global negotiated solution to the various situations of injustice that have existed for too many years."

AG/APPEAL:LEBANON/GEMAYEL VIS 061122 (160)NOTE BY FR. LOMBARDI ON BENEDICT XVI'S FORTHCOMING BOOK

VATICAN CITY, NOV 22, 2006 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J., has written a note concerning a forthcoming book by Benedict XVI, scheduled for publication in the spring of 2007. The title of the volume is: "Gesu di Nazareth. Dal Battesimo nel Giordano alla Trasfigurazione" (Jesus of Nazareth, From His Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration).

The Vatican Publishing House, which holds the copyright on all the Pope's writings, has ceded the world rights for the translation, distribution and marketing of this book to the Rizzoli Publishing House.

"The fact that Benedict XVI has managed to complete the first part of his great book on Jesus, and that within a few months we will have it in our hands, is wonderful news," writes Fr. Lombardi in his note. "I find it extraordinary that despite the duties and concerns of the pontificate, he has managed to complete a work of such great academic and spiritual depth. He says he dedicated all his free time to the project; and this itself is a very significant indication of the importance and urgency the book has for him.

"With his habitual simplicity and humility, the Pope explains that this is not a 'work of Magisterium' but the fruit of his own research, and as such it can be freely discussed and criticized. This is a very important observation, because it makes clear that what he writes in the book in no way binds the research of exegetes and theologians. It is not a long encyclical on Jesus, but a personal presentation of the figure of Jesus by the theologian Joseph Ratzinger, who has been elected as Bishop of Rome."

In the book's preface, Fr. Lombardi's note says, the Holy Father "explains that in modern culture, and in many presentations of the figure of Jesus, the gap between the 'historical Jesus' and the 'Christ of the faith' has become ever wider. ... Joseph Ratzinger, taking into consideration all the achievements of modern research, aims to present the Jesus of the Gospels as the real 'historical Jesus,' as a sensible and convincing figure to Whom we can and must trustingly refer, and upon Whom we have good reason to base our faith and our Christian life. With his book, then, the Pope aims to offer a fundamental service to support the faith of his brothers and sisters, and he does so from the central element of the faith: Jesus Christ."

In the introduction to the book, Fr. Lombardi continues, "Jesus is presented to us as the new Moses, the new prophet who speaks with 'God face to face,' ... the Son, deeply united to the Father. If this essential aspect is overlooked, the figure of Jesus become contradictory and incomprehensible. With passion, Joseph Ratzinger speaks to us of Jesus' intimate union with the Father, and wishes to ensure that Jesus' disciples participate in this communion. It is, then, a great work of exegesis and theology, but also a great work of spirituality."

Fr. Lombardi concludes: "Recalling the profound impression and the spiritual fruits that, as a young man, I drew from reading Joseph Ratzinger's first work - 'Introduction to Christianity' - I am sure that this time too we will not be disappointed, but that both believers and all people truly disposed to understand more fully the figure of Jesus, will be immensely grateful to the Pope for his great witness as a thinker, scholar and man of faith, on the most essential point of the entire Christian faith."

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VATICAN CITY, NOV 22, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Bishop Antonio Muniz Fernandes O. Carm., of Guarabira, Brazil, as archbishop of Maceio (area 8,545, population 1,469,000, Catholics 955,000, priests 61, permanent deacons 24, religious 240), Brazil. The archbishop-elect was born in Princesa Isabel, Brazil in 1952, he was ordained a priest in 1980 and consecrated a bishop in 1998. He succeeds Archbishop Jose Carlos Melo C.M., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese, the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Bishop Paulo Sergio Machado of Ituiutaba, Brazil, as bishop of Sao Carlos (area 13,056, population 1,029,854, Catholics 751,793, priests 119, permanent deacons 22, religious 171), Brazil.

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- Conference on Infectious Diseases Begins on Thursday

- Pope Writing a Book on Jesus of Nazareth

- Archbishop of Canterbury's Official Visit to the Pope

- Face Challenges and Abandon Shortsighted Interests

- Other Pontifical Acts

 

CONFERENCE ON INFECTIOUS DISEASES BEGINS ON THURSDAYVATICAN CITY, NOV 21, 2006 (VIS) - At 11.30 a.m. in the Holy See Press Office, the presentation took place of the annual international conference organized by the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care. The conference, which is due to be held from November 23 to 25 in the Vatican's New Synod Hall, has as its theme this year: "Pastoral aspects of the treatment of infectious diseases."

Participating in today's press conference were Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, Bishop Jose L. Redrado O.H., and Fr. Felice Ruffini M.I., respectively president, secretary and under secretary of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care; and Nicola Petrosillo, director of the 2nd division of the Rome-based "L. Spallanzani" National Institute for Infectious Diseases.

The spread of epidemics and of new viral infections, said Cardinal Lozano, "constitutes a serious threat to public health all over the world."

Referring to the organization of the forthcoming conference, the cardinal indicated that it will be divided into three parts. During the first part, the participants, world specialists in their field, will consider the origins and causes of infectious diseases at an individual level (lifestyle, alimentation and immune system deficiency); a technological level (industrial progress, and the mutation and resistance of bacteria); a political level (suppression of public health measures, war and terrorism); and an ecological level (climate change, environmental damage, water and air contamination).

In the second phase of the conference, said the president of the pontifical council, "we will reflect from a moral and ethical standpoint upon illnesses and Christian hope, and upon Christians' responsibilities in curing the sick." Consideration will also be given to the points of view of Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and of contemporary post-modernity.

The third part of the conference, Cardinal Lozano continued, will be dedicated to discussing the pastoral care of people with infectious diseases through such means as education in the faith, catechesis and the communications media. Attention will also be given - from a biomedical viewpoint - to research and prevention and - as regards the socio-political aspects of the problem - to national and international healthcare policies, to migration, to economic, scientific and technological resources, to nutrition and to public sanitation projects.

The conference will end with reflections upon the sick, their families and healthcare professionals, and upon the work of parishes, dioceses, religious orders and congregations, associations and volunteers working in the field of healthcare.

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POPE WRITING A BOOK ON JESUS OF NAZARETH

VATICAN CITY, NOV 21, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office today released a communique stating: "The Holy Father Benedict XVI has completed writing the first part of a book, the title of which is 'Gesu di Nazareth. Dal Battesimo nel Giordano alla Trasfigurazione' (Jesus of Nazareth, From His Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration) and, within the last few days, has consigned it to the Vatican Publishing House. The book will be published in spring 2007"

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ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY'S OFFICIAL VISIT TO THE POPE

VATICAN CITY, NOV 21, 2006 (VIS) - The primate of the Anglican Communion, Archbishop Rowan Williams of Canterbury, England, will make an official visit to the Pope from November 21 to 26, according to a communique released by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

Archbishop Williams, who will be accompanied by his wife and son, will head an eight-strong delegation. The visit is taking place 40 years after the meeting between Pope Paul VI and Archbishop Michael Ramsey - from March 22 to 24, 1966 - and aims "to express the importance the Anglican Communion attributes to relations with the Catholic Church and to the theological dialogue that began with the creation, announced during Paul VI's meeting with Archbishop Ramsey, of the Anglican - Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC)."

The central moment of the Archbishop of Canterbury's visit will be his private meeting with the Holy Father on Thursday November 23. After that meeting, the Pope and the archbishop will each deliver an address, and a joint declaration will be signed in the presence of the members of the Anglican delegation and of the Catholic representatives who accompanied the archbishop to Rome, headed by Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, archbishop of Westminster.

After the audience, Benedict XVI and Archbishop Williams, will go to the Vatican's "Redemptoris Mater" Chapel where they will pray together.

On November 22, the Anglican archbishop and Cardinal Walter Kasper, prefect of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, will visit the Sistine Chapel where they will pray together and recollect the meeting there 40 years earlier between Paul VI and Archbishop Michael Ramsey.

On November 24, the Roman church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva will be the setting for an ecumenical celebration of Vespers.

During the course of the visit, Archbishop Williams and Cardinal Kasper will examine the current state of Catholic-Anglican relations, the planning and content of a new cycle of dialogue in the ARCIC following its most recent publication "Mary, Grace and Hope in Christ" in May 2005, the work of the International Anglican - Roman Commission for Unity and Mission (IARCCUM) established in 2000, and the ecumenical situation in general."

The visit will also serve as an opportunity to continue the informal talks, an annual initiative for the giving and receiving of information, coordination of initiatives, and dialogue and exchange.

The archbishop's visit also coincides with the 40th anniversary of the foundation of Rome's Anglican Center, which undertakes various initiatives to favor reciprocal understanding among Catholics and Anglicans. The current director of the Anglican Center is Bishop John Flack, representative of the Anglican communion to the Holy See.

On the afternoon of Sunday, November 26, prior to his departure, Archbishop Williams will preside at an Anglican liturgy in the Basilica of Santa Sabina on Rome's Aventine Hill.

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FACE CHALLENGES AND ABANDON SHORTSIGHTED INTERESTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 21, 2006 (VIS) - On November 15, Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi C.S., Holy See permanent observer to the Office of the United Nations and Specialized Institutions at Geneva, participated in the third special session of the Human Rights Council, which is considering the situation in Gaza.

"In its short history," said the archbishop speaking English, "the Human Rights Council has faced tough challenges given the persisting violations of human rights in several areas of the world, violations it has not always been able to address with fairness and consistency because of shortsighted political and economic interests. But a Human Rights Council that does not contribute to change the quality of people's life on the ground, ... seriously risks a loss of credibility."

"A qualitative step forward in confidence-building," Archbishop Tomasi told the council "would be ... the adoption of a courageous method of real dialogue that enables placing on the table the real problems calling for solution no matter how different at the start are the points of view." To this end, he added, "the present special session can be a constructive occasion."

He went on: "The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been caught in a cycle of violence that ... leads nowhere. This tragic spiral of suffering must be broken. Two steps are called for. First, the two peoples involved must recognize each other's humanity and equality and start this process of mutual recognition on a base of justice and respect of fundamental human rights and international and humanitarian law."

"Second, the family of States has a moral responsibility to promote a mentality of peace; to collaborate through practical measures for the elimination of the deep cultural, social and economic roots of violence; to aid and enable the parties involved in pursuing a fruitful collaboration.

"This responsibility," he added, "in the first place is owned to the civilian population, to women and children struck down by unwarranted violence, to young military lives cut short with dreams unfulfilled. ... Respect of basic human rights, above all the right to life, is not an abstract consideration, but an approach that pays a rich dividend in its political consequences: it makes possible the reaping and enjoyment of the fruits of peace.

"The Palestinian-Israeli conflict, as a major source of instability in the Middle East, becomes a chain in a vicious cycle that produces instability in the whole region. In turn, such instability makes the situation of the population of Palestine and of Israel much worse and the reaching of peaceful goals more difficult.

"If the countries engaged in the region and trying to assist in finding an honorable and just solution to the conflict succeed, they would render an important service to the whole world and show once again how the respect of human rights fosters peace."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 21, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Benin City, Nigeria, presented by Archbishop Patrick Ebosele Ekpu, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Bishop Domenico Graziani of Cassano all'Jonio, Italy, as archbishop of Crotone-Santa Severina (area 1,885, population 202,600, Catholics 201,400, priests 116, permanent deacons 18, religious 166), Italy. The archbishop-elect was born in Calopezzati, Italy in 1944, he was ordained a priest in 1968, and consecrated a bishop in 1999.

- Appointed Fr. Anton Leichtfried of the clergy of the diocese of Sankt Polten, Austria, rector of the major seminary, as auxiliary of the same diocese (area 10,450, population 629,227, Catholics 561,007, priests 546, permanent deacons 48, religious 485). The bishop-elect was born in Scheibbs, Austria, in 1967 and ordained a priest in 1991.

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- Communique on Pope's Meeting with German President

- Promote Marriage and the Family

- Address the Root Causes of Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

- Other Pontifical Acts

- Cloistered Monasteries: Vital "Green Lungs"

- Official Visit of the Italian President to the Holy Father

- In Brief

- Audiences

 

COMMUNIQUE ON POPE'S MEETING WITH GERMAN PRESIDENT

VATICAN CITY, NOV 18, 2006 (VIS) -

At midday today, the Holy See Press Office released the following communique:

"This morning, Saturday November 18, Horst Kohler, president of the Federal Republic of Germany, was received in audience by His Holiness Benedict XVI; he subsequently went on to meet Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B.

"The cordial discussions provided an opportunity for, among other things, an exchange of opinions on questions relating to the international situation, with particular reference to the Middle East. The need to promote relationships of equality and a spirit of solidarity at the international level was also emphasized, especially as regards the continent of Africa. Finally, mention was made of the importance of a commitment to the education of youth, and to supporting dialogue between religions."

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PROMOTE MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY

VATICAN CITY, NOV 18, 2006 (VIS) - This morning, the Pope received the second group of prelates from the German Bishops' Conference, at the end of their "ad limina" visit.

Opening his talk to them, the Holy Father highlighted how, "the encounter with the living Christ is always at the heart of our service, an encounter that confers a decisive orientation upon our lives."

Proceeding with his address, Benedict XVI referred to the bishops' concern "for an adequate development of pastoral structures to meet the present situation." In this context he pointed out how, faced with falling numbers of priests and of faithful attending Sunday Mass, various German dioceses are implementing models for restructuring pastoral care, in which the image of the pastor "risks being obscured."

I am sure, he told the prelates, "that you will give your approval only to those structural reforms that are in full harmony with the Church's teaching on the priesthood and with her juridical norms, ensuring that the implementation of reforms does not diminish the power of attraction of the priestly ministry."

Referring to the question of lay participation in ecclesial structures, the Holy Father recalled "the broad and open field of the lay apostolate ... and its multiple tasks." These include, he said, announcing the Gospel, catechesis, charity work, the media of social communication, and "social commitment for the integral protection of human life and social justice."

The Pope then turned to consider the question of "announcing the faith to the young people of our time," who live "in a secularized culture" in which God is absent. It is important, he said, that, in the Church, acolytes "encounter God, His Word, and the Sacrament of His presence, and that they learn to model their lives on this basis." As for ecclesial movements, the Pope told the bishops that "we must respect the specific nature of their charisms, and be happy that shared forms of faith come into being in which the Word of God becomes life."

The Church's charitable activity must, said Pope Benedict "be kept apart from the confusion of political interests, ... and used for the good of people." In this field, he called for "close collaboration with bishops and with episcopal conferences."

"The order of marriage as established at the creation," said the Holy Father, "is becoming progressively obscured today." In the face of a materialist culture, "it is difficult for young people to commit themselves to one another definitively," to have children, "and to offer them that lasting space for growth and maturity which only the family based upon marriage can provide."

In such as situation, he went on, "it is vitally important to help young people to pronounce that definitive 'yes,' which does not contrast with freedom but, rather, represents its greatest opportunity. In the patience of remaining together for a lifetime, love achieves its true maturity. And in such an environment of lifelong love, children also learn to live and to love."

Finally, the Pope turned to the question of ecumenism. "In Germany," he said, "our efforts must be directed, above all towards Christians of Lutheran and Reformed faith. ... Ecumenical commitment cannot be entirely fulfilled with joint documents. It becomes visible and effective where Christians from different Churches and ecclesial communities - in a social context that is ever further removed from religion - profess, together and convincingly, the values transmitted by the Christian faith, and emphasize them forcefully in their political and social activities."

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ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSES OF ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT

VATICAN CITY, NOV 18, 2006 (VIS) - On November 17, Archbishop Celestino Migliore, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York, participated in the tenth emergency special session of the 61st U.N. General Assembly, which is meeting to consider the question of: "Illegal Israeli actions in Occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory."

The archbishop began his address with an _expression of his delegation's "closeness to the civilian populations suffering the consequences of recent violence. I would also like to convey the invitation of Pope Benedict XVI to join him in prayer 'that God will enlighten the Israeli and Palestinian authorities, as well as those nations that have a particular responsibility in the region, so that they may do all they can to put an end to the bloodshed, increase humanitarian aid initiatives and encourage the immediate resumption of direct, serious, and concrete negotiations.'

"While regretting a new toll of deaths and condemning the spiral of violence caused by both military operations and terrorist attacks," he added, "we cannot but note that these horrendous occurrences form part of a much larger issue which, as we all know, has festered far too long in the region. Each time we hold an emergency meeting such as this, we recite the seemingly endless list of difficulties and differences separating Israelis and Palestinians, which make it all the more urgent for States to address the problem of the fundamental injustice at the heart of this question. To make a litany of symptoms without addressing the root cause is hardly helpful to either party. Each is forced to live under the horrible tensions of potential explosive acts of terror or military incursions that result in death, casualties and the destruction of infrastructures.

"The centrality of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the persistent instability in the Middle East cannot be ignored. It is a sad fact that the international community has failed to engage the Israelis and Palestinians in significant and substantive dialogue, along with resolution of disputes, in order to bring stability and peace to both."

He concluded: "The only peace with a chance of lasting in the region will be a truly comprehensive one. It will involve all major players in the Middle East region and it will have to be based upon bilateral peace treaties and multilateral agreements on all questions of common concern, including water, environment and trade."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 18, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Bishop Calogero La Piana S.D.B., of Mazara del Vallo, Italy, as archbishop of Messina-Lipari-Santa Lucia del Mela (area 1,848, population 488,400, Catholics 487,400, priests 379, permanent deacons 73, religious 762), Italy. The archbishop-elect was born in Piazza Armerina, Italy, in 1952, he was ordained a priest in 1981 and consecrated a bishop in 2003. He succeeds Archbishop Giovanni Marra, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese, the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Bishop Dorick McGowan Wright, auxiliary of Belize City-Belmopan, Belize, as bishop of the same diocese (area 22,965, population 282,600, Catholics 215,035, priests 36, religious 82). He succeeds Bishop Osmond Peter Martin, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese, the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

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CLOISTERED MONASTERIES: VITAL "GREEN LUNGS"

VATICAN CITY, NOV 19, 2006 (VIS) - Today, in his remarks prior to praying the Angelus, the Pope recalled cloistered religious communities who, on November 21, celebrate the Day "pro Orantibus," which is dedicated to them.

"This is a particularly appropriate occasion," said the Pope to the thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, "to give thanks to the Lord for the gift of so many people who, in monasteries and hermitages, dedicate themselves entirely to God in prayer and silence.

"Some people ask themselves," he added, "what meaning and value can the presence of such people have in our time, in which the situations of want and poverty we have to face are so numerous and urgent. Why 'cloister' oneself forever within the walls of a monastery, thus depriving others ... of one's abilities and experiences? What effect can prayer have for resolving the many concrete problems that continue to afflict humanity?"

Also today, many are surprised by "the people who abandon often promising careers to embrace the austere rule of a cloistered monastery. What is it that pushes them to such a radical step if not having understood, as the Gospel teaches, that the Kingdom of heaven is 'a treasure' for which it is truly worthwhile to abandon everything?"

Such people, the Pope explained, "bear silent witness to the fact that in the midst of the uncertainties of daily life, ... the only support that never fails is God. ... And in the face of the widespread need, felt by many, to escape the daily routine of the great urban centers in search of spaces suitable for silence and contemplation, monasteries of contemplative life are like 'oases' in which man, a pilgrim upon earth, can better draw upon the sources of the Spirit and quench his thirst on his journey.

"These places, then, apparently useless, are in fact indispensable. Like the green 'lungs' of a city, they are good for everyone, even for people who ... perhaps do not know of their existence."

After praying the Angelus, the Pope recalled that today is the day of road accident victims, and he invited everyone to pray for those killed in traffic accidents, entrusting "the injured, many of who are often permanently disabled," to the Virgin Mary. "I tirelessly ask motorists to respect the traffic regulations, and always to pay attention to others," he concluded.

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OFFICIAL VISIT OF THE ITALIAN PRESIDENT TO THE HOLY FATHER

VATICAN CITY, NOV 20, 2006 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican, the Pope received Giorgio Napolitano, president of the Italian Republic, on an official visit. President Napolitano took office on May 15 this year.

Following a private meeting in his library, the Holy Father delivered an address, which was followed by some words from President Napolitano.

"Church and State," said Pope Benedict, "are both called, according to their respective missions and with their own ends and means, to serve man, ... and they collaborate in promoting his integral good."

The Holy Father highlighted how the civil community's solicitude for the good of citizens "cannot be limited ... to their physical health, economic wellbeing, intellectual formation and social relationships," and he stressed the fact that "human beings present themselves before the State also in their religious dimension."

"It would be reductive to consider that the right to religious freedom is sufficiently guaranteed when personal convictions suffer no violence or interference, or when we limit ourselves to respecting the _expression of faith within the confines of a place of worship. It cannot, in fact, be forgotten that 'the social nature of man itself requires that he should give external _expression to his internal acts of religion: that he should share with others in matters religious; that he should profess his religion in community.' Religious freedom is, then, not just of individuals, but also of families, of religious groups and of the Church herself."

"Adequate respect of the right to religious freedom," said the Pope, "implies, then, the commitment of civil authorities in helping to create 'conditions favorable to the fostering of religious life, in order that the people may be truly enabled to exercise their religious rights and to fulfill their religious duties'."

"The freedom that the Church and Christians claim does not prejudice the interests of the State or of other social groups, and does not seek an authoritative supremacy over them. Rather, it is a condition enabling ... the fulfillment of the vital service that the Church offers to Italy, and to all other countries in which she is present. This service to society, ... is also expressed towards the civil and political spheres. Indeed, although it is true that by her nature and mission 'the Church is not and does not intend to be a political player,' nonetheless she 'has a profound interest in the good of the political community'."

The Pope went on: "This specific contribution is chiefly made by the lay faithful," who "when they commit themselves through word and deed to confronting the great modern challenges, ... do not act out of their own specific interests or in the name of principles perceptible only to people who profess a specific religious creed. Rather, they do so in the context of, and following the rules of, democratic coexistence, for the good of all of society and in the name of values that all people of good will can share."

At the end of his address, the Pope expressed the hope that Italy "may continue to advance along the path of authentic progress, and offer the international community its precious contribution, always promoting those human and Christian values that have forged the country's history and culture, and its heritage of ideals, laws and arts; values that still lie at the base of the lives and activities of its citizens. These efforts," he concluded, "will not lack the loyal and generous contribution of the Catholic Church through the teaching of her bishops, ... and the work of all the faithful."

In his talk, President Napolitano highlighted his "profound awareness of the Catholic Church's exalted universal mission, and of the precious service she offers the nation." He also recalled how, "in Italy, the harmony of relations between State and Church has been and still is guaranteed by the lay principle of distinction, as sanctioned in the Constitution, as well as by the commitment - proclaimed in the agreements of revision of the Concordat - 'to reciprocal collaboration for the promotion of man and for the good of the country.' ... We believe deeply in the importance of such collaboration," the president added, and "we know and appreciate ... the public and social dimensions of religion."

Following his meeting with the Pope, the Italian president went on to visit Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B., with whom he held a private meeting. He was then accompanied to the Sala Regia, where the cardinal secretary of State introduced him the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See.

In the Sala Regia, Cardinal Bertone delivered a talk in which he highlighted "the breadth of the relations the Holy See maintains with numerous States on all continents and with various international organizations. ... It is not by chance that even those who do not share our Christian faith look to the Pope as spokesman of the supreme moral prerequisites, and heed his calls for respect for the dignity of man, the promotion of peace and development, and sincere collaboration between peoples, religions and cultures for a better future for the human family."

The official ceremony concluded with a visit by President Napolitano to St. Peter's Basilica.

The Holy See Press Office released an official communique at the end of the Italian president's visit: "During the cordial discussions, satisfaction was expressed for the good relations between the Holy See and Italy, and between Church and State in the country. While respecting the right to religious freedom, and the respective autonomy of the ecclesial and civil communities, as well as their mutual collaboration, Italian Catholics will continue to make their contribution towards the dignity of man, the protection of life and the family, and the common good of society."

"The meetings also provided an opportunity to consider various aspects of international life, with particular emphasis on the delicate situation in the Middle East, on the prospects for the process of European integration, and on the serious problems of the African continent. The Holy See and Italy will continue to collaborate for a better working of international institutions."

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IN BRIEF

CARDINAL SECRETARY OF STATE TARCISIO BERTONE S.D.B., has written a Message, in the name of the Holy Father, to Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, marking the end of an international conference on "The University and the Social Doctrine of the Church." The conference was promoted by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace in collaboration with the Congregation for Catholic Education. In the Message, Cardinal Bertone states that "the Church's social doctrine ... by its very structure tends towards interdisciplinary dialogue, because the disciplines from which it draws include, on the one hand, theology and philosophy and, on the other, the human and social sciences. For this reason, [it] can contribute to providing a basic orientational framework for the various disciplines, bringing them to collaborate with one another in full respect for the specific nature of each. It can, then, become a bearer of sapiental knowledge with which to enrich the many activities of research and formation in Catholic universities."

HORST KOHLER, PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, offered a concert in honor of the Holy Father on Saturday November 18. At the end of the concert - which was given by the "Philharmonia Quartett Berlin" and took place in the Clementine Hall of the Vatican Apostolic Palace - the Pope delivered a brief address. "Playing together as soloists," he said, "requires each individual not only to use all his technical and musical abilities in playing his part but, at the same time, to know how to draw back and listen attentively to the others. Only if ... each player does not put himself at the center but, in a spirit of service, becomes part of the whole, ... an 'instrument' that turns the composer's idea into sound to reach the listeners' hearts, only then does the interpretation become truly great. This is a beautiful image, also for us who, within the Church, are committed to being 'instruments' to communicate to men and women the idea of the great 'Composer,' Whose work is the harmony of the universe."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 20, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences nine prelates from the German Bishops' Conference, on their "ad limina" visit:

- Bishop Heinrich Mussinghoff of Aachen.

- Bishop Reinhard Marx of Trier, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishops Robert Brahm, Jorg Michael Peters and Stephan Ackermann.

- Bishop Felix Genn of Essen, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishops Franz Grave and Franz Vorrath.

- Bishop Piotr Kryk, apostolic exarch for the Ukrainian faithful of Byzantine rite resident in Germany and Scandinavia.

On Saturday, November 18, he received in separate audiences seven prelates from the German Bishops' Conference, on their "ad limina" visit:

- Bishop Reinhard Lettmann of Munster, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishops Heinrich Timmerevers, Friedrich Ostermann, Heinrich Janssen, Josef Voss and Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst.

- Msgr. Johann Limbacher, apostolic administrator of Eichstatt.

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Pope and Curia Reaffirm Value of Priestly Celibacy

- Ecumenism, from Silence to the Word of Communion

- Audiences

- In Memoriam

 

POPE AND CURIA REAFFIRM VALUE OF PRIESTLY CELIBACY

 

VATICAN CITY, NOV 17, 2006 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon, the Holy See Press Office released the following communique:

"In the Apostolic Palace this morning, November 16, the Holy Father presided at one of the regular meetings of the heads of dicasteries of the Roman Curia, for a moment of shared reflection.

"The participants in the meeting had at their disposal detailed information concerning requests for dispensation from the obligation of celibacy presented during recent years, and concerning the possibility of readmission to the exercise of the ministry of priests who currently meet the conditions established by the Church.

"The value of the choice of priestly celibacy in accordance with Catholic tradition was reaffirmed, and the need for solid human and Christian formation was underlined, both for seminaries and for ordained priests."

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ECUMENISM, FROM SILENCE TO THE WORD OF COMMUNION

VATICAN CITY, NOV 17, 2006 (VIS) - Today in the Vatican, Benedict XVI received participants in the plenary session of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, who have been reflecting upon the theme of "the changing ecumenical situation."

"We live in a period of great changes in almost all areas of life," said the Pope in his address, "and we must not be surprised if this also impinges upon the life of the Church and on relations between Christians." Nonetheless, "the aim of the ecumenical movement remains unchanged: the visible unity of the Church. ... Vatican Council II considered the re-establishment of full unity among all Christians as one of its principal concerns. It is also my concern."

Benedict XVI recalled the hall in which Vatican Council II took place, "where the observer delegates from other Churches and ecclesial communities sat attentive, but in silence. Over subsequent decades, this image has given way to the reality of a Church in dialogue. ... Silence has been transformed into the word of communion. An enormous amount of work has been done at both the universal and local levels. Fraternity among all Christians has been rediscovered and re-established as a condition for dialogue, cooperation, common prayer and solidarity."

The Pope then went on to refer to his predecessor's commitment to ecumenism, and to the Encyclical 'Ut unum sint' written by John Paul II on that subject. He also recalled "the experience of communion with representatives of other Churches and ecclesial communities," who came to Rome from all over the world "to participate in the funeral of the unforgettable John Paul II, and in the inauguration of my own pontificate. Sharing pain and joy is a visible sign of the new situation that has been created among Christians."

The Holy Father then went on to consider certain events that have taken place over recent decades and that have some bearing on ecumenism. "At the time of the Council, many of the venerated Eastern Churches were oppressed by dictatorial regimes," he said. "Today they have regained their freedom and are committed to a wide-ranging process of reorganization and revitalization. ... The eastern and western parts of Europe are coming closer together, and this encourages Churches to coordinate their efforts to safeguard the Christian tradition."

"Fortunately," he went on, "following a period of multiple difficulties, theological dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches has taken on fresh impetus." While "bilateral, open and friendly" dialogue is making progress with the ecclesial communities of the West. In this context, the Holy Father mentioned "the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification," signed with the World Lutheran Federation, and to which the World Methodist Council has also given its approval.

Nonetheless, obstacles still remain, such as "the difficulty of finding a shared conception of the relationship between the Gospel and the Church, ... of the mystery of the Church and her unity, and of the question of ministry in the Church. New difficulties have arisen in the field of ethics and, as a consequence, the different standpoints taken by the Christian confessions on current problems have reduced their possibility of guiding public opinion."

"What must be promoted above all," the Pope concluded, "is the ecumenism of love, that descends directly from the new commandment left by Jesus to His disciples. Love accompanied by coherent acts generates trust. ... Ecumenical formation must also be intensified, on the basis of the fundamentals of Christian faith, in other words from the announcement of the love of God which was revealed in the face of Jesus Christ."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 17, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Antonio Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, accompanied by an entourage.

- Roland Koch, minister president of Hesse, Germany, accompanied by his wife and an entourage.

- Four prelates from the German Bishops' Conference, on their "ad limina" visit:

- Archbishop Ludwig Schick of Bamberg, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishop Werner Radspieler.

- Bishop Anton Schlembach of Speyer, accompanied by auxiliary Bishop Otto Georgens.

This evening, he is scheduled to receive in separate audiences seven prelates from the German Bishops' Conference, on their "ad limina" visit:

- Cardinal Joachim Meisner, archbishop of Cologne, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishops Manfred Melzer, Rainer Woelki and Heiner Koch, and by former Auxiliary Bishop Klaus Dick.

- Bishop Friedhelm Hofmann of Wurzburg, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishop Helmut Bauer.

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IN MEMORIAM

VATICAN CITY, NOV 17, 2006 (VIS) - The following prelates died in recent weeks:

- Bishop Gerhard Ludwig Goebel M.S.F., prelate of Tromso, Norway, on November 4, at the age of 72.

- Bishop William Thomas Larkin, emeritus of Saint Petersburg, U.S.A., on November 4, at the age of 83.

- Archbishop Nivaldo Monte, emeritus of Natal, South Africa, on November 10, at the age of 88.

- Archbishop Custodio Alvim Pereira, emeritus of Maputo, Mozambique, on November 12, at the age of 91.

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- Meeting of Heads of Dicasteries of the Roman Curia

- Pastoral Aspects of Treating Infectious Disease

- Audiences

 

MEETING OF HEADS OF DICASTERIES OF THE ROMAN CURIAVATICAN CITY, NOV 16, 2006 (VIS) - As announced earlier, this morning in the Vatican, the Holy Father met with heads of dicasteries of the Roman Curia in order to examine the situation that has arisen following the disobedience of Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo. The order of the day also included an examination of requests for dispensation from the obligation of celibacy, and requests for readmission to the priestly ministry presented by married priests over the course of recent years.

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PASTORAL ASPECTS OF TREATING INFECTIOUS DISEASE

VATICAN CITY, NOV 16, 2006 (VIS) - In the Holy See Press Office at 11.30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 21, the presentation will take place of an international conference on the theme: "Pastoral aspects of the treatment of infectious diseases," promoted by the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care. The conference is due to be held from November 23 to 25 in the Vatican's New Synod Hall.

Participating in Tuesday's press conference will be Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, Bishop Jose L. Redrado O.H., and Fr. Felice Ruffini M.I., respectively president, secretary and under secretary of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care; Rosa Merola, psychotherapist and consultant to the Italian ministry of justice; and Nicola Petrosillo, director of the 2nd division of the Rome-based "L. Spallanzani" National Institute for Infectious Diseases.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 16, 2006 (VIS) - This afternoon, the Holy Father is scheduled to receive in audience Cardinal Ivan Dias, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

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The Apostle Paul: the Spirit in Our Hearts

- St. Albert the Great, Builder of Peace

- Archbishop Amato Opens Academic Year at "Angelicum"

- Other Pontifical Acts

THE APOSTLE PAUL: THE SPIRIT IN OUR HEARTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 15, 2006 (VIS) - St. Paul was, once again, the theme of Benedict XVI's catechesis during his weekly general audience, held this morning in St. Peter's Square.

"Having meditated last week upon St. Paul's writings concerning Jesus Christ's central position in our life of faith," said the Pope, "today we consider what he says about the Holy Spirit."

"St. Paul, in his Letters, ... does not limit himself to explaining just the dynamic and active role of the third Person of the Blessed Trinity, but also analyzes the presence of the Spirit in the lives of Christians, whose identity is thereby marked. In other words, Paul reflects upon the Spirit, explaining its influence not only upon the activities of Christians but also upon their being."

Quoting the words of St. Paul, the Holy Father said: "You did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship." It is clear then, he went on, "that Christians, even before they act, possess a rich and fruitful inner life ... that instates them in a ... filial relationship with God. This is our greatest dignity, that of being not just the image but the children of God," which, in turn, "is an invitation to transform this objective gift into a subjective reality, that determines our way of thinking, acting and being."

"Paul also teaches us," the Holy Father continued, "that there is no true prayer without the presence of the Spirit within us." The Spirit is "like the soul of our soul, the most secret part of our being, whence a prayer incessantly rises towards God."

"Another aspect of the Spirit ... is its association with love. ... The Spirit introduces us into the very rhythm of divine life, which is a life of love. ... And since by definition love unites, this means, above all, that the Spirit is a creator of communion within the Christian community."

"Finally, the Spirit, according to St. Paul, is a generous down payment given us by God Himself as a foretaste and guarantee of our future inheritance. ...The action of the Spirit guides our lives towards the great values of love, joy, communion and hope."

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ST. ALBERT THE GREAT, BUILDER OF PEACE

VATICAN CITY, NOV 15, 2006 (VIS) - At the end of today's general audience, the Pope recalled the fact that today is the liturgical feast of St. Albert the Great, "who made ceaseless efforts to establish peace among the peoples of his time," he said,

"May his example," the Holy Father continued, "stimulate you, dear young people, to work for justice and build reconciliation." For the sick, may it be "an encouragement to confide in the Lord Who never abandons us in moments of trial," and for newlyweds, "a stimulation to find in the Gospel the joy to welcome and serve life, the priceless gift of God."

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ARCHBISHOP AMATO OPENS ACADEMIC YEAR AT "ANGELICUM"

VATICAN CITY, NOV 15, 2006 (VIS) - Today, November 15, the liturgical feast of St. Albert the Great, Dominican bishop and doctor of the Church, a ceremony took place to mark the opening of the academic year at Rome's Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, the "Angelicum," of which St. Albert is co-patron.

Following a brief address from Fr. Joseph Agius O.P., rector of the university, Archbishop Angelo Amato S.D.B., secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, delivered a talk on the subject of: "The ecclesiology of communion and the Letter 'Communionis notio' on some aspects of the Church understood as communion."

The central themes of that document, published by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 1992 are: the Universal Church and particular Churches, the communion of Churches, Eucharist and episcopate, ecclesial communion, and ecumenism.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 15, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the territorial abbey of Montevergine, Italy, presented by Fr. Giovanni Tarcisio Nazzaro O.S.B., in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.

- Appointed Fr. Jaime Pedro Kohl P.S.D.P., master of novices at the novitiate of "Nossa Senhora de Caravaggio" at Farroupilha in the diocese of Caixas do Sul, Brazil, as bishop of Osorio (area 6,120, population 272,000, Catholics 230,000, priests 31, religious 60), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Salvador do Sul, Brazil in 1954 and ordained a priest in 1984. He succeeds Bishop Thadeu Gomes Canellas, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese, the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Elevated Fr. Gianfranco Girotti O.F.M. Conv., regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary, to the dignity of bishop. The bishop-elect was born in Rome in 1937 and ordained a priest in 1963.

- Elevated Msgr. Antoni Stankiewicz, dean of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota, to the dignity of bishop. The bishop-elect was born in Oleszczenice, Poland in 1935 and ordained a priest in 1958.

- Elevated Fr. Raffaele Farina S.D.B., prefect of the Vatican Apostolic Library, to the dignity of bishop. The bishop-elect was born in Ariano Irpino, Italy in 1933 and ordained a priest in 1958.

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- Dicastery Heads to Examine Question of Archbishop Milingo

- Defend the Rights of Migrants, Refugees and Their Families

- Migrant Family: Theme for Day of Migrants and Refugees

- In Brief

- Other Pontifical Acts 

DICASTERY HEADS TO EXAMINE QUESTION OF ARCHBISHOP MILINGO

VATICAN CITY, NOV 14, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy See Press office released the following communique late yesterday afternoon:

"The Holy Father has called a meeting of the heads of dicasteries of the Roman Curia, for Thursday, November 16, in order to examine the situation that has arisen following the disobedience of Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo, and to reflect upon requests for dispensation from the obligation of celibacy and requests for readmission to the priestly ministry, presented by married priests over the course of recent years. No other matters are scheduled on the order of the day."

OP/MEETING HEADS DICASTERY/MILINGO VIS 061114 (110)DEFEND THE RIGHTS OF MIGRANTS, REFUGEES AND THEIR FAMILIES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 14, 2006 (VIS) - In the Holy See Press Office this morning, Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino and Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, respectively president and secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples, presented the Pope's Message for the 93rd World Day of Migrants and Refugees. The Day is due to be celebrated on Sunday, January 14, 2007 and has as its theme "the migrant family."

Cardinal Martino indicated how "in societies where immigration is an important phenomenon, the role of the family unit gives way to the individual and his or her capacity to be productive or successful. ... Language, which is a vehicle of communication, can also become a barrier between the first generation and subsequent generations, even within the same family. This accentuates the isolation of the members of the family unit, isolation that sometimes becomes solitude and marginalization."

"Isolation is even more marked," he continued, "among women, enclosed within the walls of the home and with few opportunities for external relations," who can sometimes even "end up as victims of human trafficking or of prostitution."

The cardinal highlighted how, alongside people who emigrate with their documents in order, "there are growing numbers who flee their homeland in the hope of a better future in the developed countries. ... Often the journey becomes a death trap," and many end up embroiled "in corruption, criminality and prostitution." In this context, the president of the pontifical council recalled the Holy Father's invitation "to ratify the legal instruments that aim to defend the rights of migrants, refugees and their families."

Referring to the final part of the Message, where the Holy Father talks of foreign students, Cardinal Martino said "it is calculated that they number more than two million, with a particularly large presence in the United States, Great Britain, France and Germany." After highlighting the "economic problems" faced by students from poor nations, and the "problems of integration into the host countries," the cardinal concluded by stressing how the Church, "apart from assistance, is called to offer moral support and Christian formation."

"The families of refugees must find a warm welcome in their host countries," said Archbishop Marchetto. "Today, however, it is painful for us to note that understanding and sympathy for refugees is diminishing," and "actions are committed that make life more difficult for those seeking asylum. ... Furthermore, the situation of internally displaced persons is, in general, even more difficult, as there is not yet any international legislation to deal with them."

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) looks after 20 million people, said the archbishop, while internally displaced persons number 24 million. "In the countries in the so-called South of the world, there are some six million refugees who have been living in special 'camps' for more than five years, often with little respect being shown for their rights. ... They are unable to work properly, or leave their 'camps' freely, because their movements are restricted." Moreover, "the food rations given them are often insufficient."

"Maintaining a family under such conditions is obviously very difficult," said the secretary of the pontifical council, pointing out how this has a negative effect on internal relationships within the family as a result of which "social structures are weakened and people lose their values, their humanity and their dignity."

Finally, the archbishop spoke of refuge families who have found asylum in other countries, and highlighted the necessity of "accompanying" them in their adaptation to their new environment, a field in which local Churches could play an important role, he said. "Such accompaniment," he concluded, "is necessary during the process of integration. It is an _expression of respect for others and at the same time, enables the people assisted to change, in accordance with the real concept of integration, which is not assimilation. For us, such an approach has deep roots in Christianity and, even today, shows what the Church stands for and promotes."

OP/MIGRANTS:REFUGEES/MARTINO:MARCHETTO VIS 061114 (680)MIGRANT FAMILY: THEME FOR DAY OF MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 14, 2006 (VIS) - Made public today was Benedict XVI's Message for the 93rd World Day of Migrants and Refugees, due to be celebrated on Sunday, January 14, 2007. The theme of the Day is "the migrant family," and the text, published in Italian, French, English, Spanish, German and Portuguese, is dated October 18.

The complete text of the English version of the Message is given below:

"On the occasion of the coming World Day of Migrants and Refugees, and looking at the Holy Family of Nazareth, icon of all families, I would like to invite you to reflect on the condition of the migrant family. The evangelist Matthew narrates that shortly after the birth of Jesus, Joseph was forced to leave for Egypt by night, taking the child and his mother with him, in order to flee the persecution of King Herod. Making a comment on this page of the Gospel, my venerable Predecessor, Servant of God Pope Pius XII, wrote in 1952: 'The family of Nazareth in exile, Jesus, Mary and Joseph, emigrants and taking refuge in Egypt to escape the fury of an evil king, are the model, the example and the support of all emigrants and pilgrims of every age and every country, of all refugees of any condition who, compelled by persecution and need, are forced to abandon their homeland, their beloved relatives, their neighbors, their dear friends, and move to a foreign land.' In this misfortune experienced by the Family of Nazareth, obliged to take refuge in Egypt, we can catch a glimpse of the painful condition in which all migrants live, especially, refugees, exiles, evacuees, internally displaced persons, those who are persecuted. We can take a quick look at the difficulties that every migrant family lives through, the hardships and humiliations, the deprivation and fragility of millions and millions of migrants, refugees and internally displaced people. The Family of Nazareth reflects the image of God safeguarded in the heart of every human family, even if disfigured and weakened by emigration.

"The theme of the next World Day of Migrants and Refugees - the migrant family - is in continuity with those of 1980, 1986 and 1993. It intends to underline further the commitment of the Church not only in favor of the individual migrant, but also of his family, which is a place and resource of the culture of life and a factor for the integration of values. The migrant's family meets many difficulties. The distance of its members from one another and unsuccessful reunification often result in breaking the original ties. New relationships are formed and new affections arise. Some migrants forget the past and their duties, as they are subjected to the hard trial of distance and solitude. If the immigrant family is not ensured of a real possibility of inclusion and participation, it is difficult to expect its harmonious development. The International Convention for the protection of the rights of all migrant workers and members of their families, which was enforced on July 1, 2003, intends to defend men and women migrant workers and the members of their respective families. This means that the value of the family is recognized, also in the sphere of emigration, which is now a structural phenomenon of our societies. The Church encourages the ratification of the international legal instruments that aim to defend the rights of migrants, refugees and their families and, through its various institutions and associations, offers her advocacy that is becoming more and more necessary. To this end, she has opened centers where migrants are listened to, houses where they are welcomed, offices for services offered to persons and families, with other initiatives set up to respond to the growing needs in this field.

"Much is already being done for the integration of the families of immigrants, although much still remains to be done. There are real difficulties connected with some 'defense mechanisms' on the part of the first generation immigrants, which run the risk of becoming an obstacle to the greater maturity of the young people of the second generation. This is why it is necessary to provide for legislative, juridical and social intervention to facilitate such an integration. In recent times, there is an increase in the number of women who leave their countries of origin in search of better conditions of life, in view of more promising professional prospects. However, women who end up as victims of trafficking of human beings and of prostitution are not few in number. In family reunification, social workers, especially religious women, can render an appreciated service of mediation that merits our gratitude more and more.

"Regarding the integration of the families of immigrants, I feel it my duty to call your attention to the families of refugees, whose conditions seem to have gone worse in comparison with the past, also specifically regarding the reunification of family nuclei. In the camps assigned to them, in addition to logistic difficulties, and those of a personal character linked to the trauma and emotional stress caused by the tragic experiences they went through, sometimes there is also the risk of women and children being involved in sexual exploitation, as a survival mechanism. In these cases an attentive pastoral presence is necessary. Aside from giving assistance capable of healing the wounds of the heart, pastoral care should also offer the support of the Christian community, able to restore the culture of respect and have the true value of love found again. It is necessary to encourage those who are interiorly-wrecked to recover trust in themselves. Everything must also be done to guarantee the rights and dignity of the families and to assure them housing facilities according to their needs. Refugees are asked to cultivate an open and positive attitude towards their receiving society and maintain an active willingness to accept offers to participate in building together an integrated community that would be a 'common household' for all.

"Among migrants, there is a category that needs to be considered in a special way: students from other countries, who are far from home, without an adequate knowledge of the language, at times without friends and often with a scholarship that is insufficient for their needs. Their condition is even worse if they are married. Through her institutions, the Church exerts every effort to render the absence of family support for these young students less painful. It helps them integrate in the cities that receive them, by putting them in contact with families that are willing to offer them hospitality and facilitate knowing one another. As I had the opportunity to say on another occasion, helping foreign students is 'an important field of pastoral action. ... Indeed, young people who leave their own country in order to study encounter many problems and especially the risk of an identity crisis.'

"Dear brothers and sisters, may the World Day of Migrants and Refugees become a useful occasion to build awareness, in the ecclesial community and public opinion, regarding the needs and problems, as well as the positive potentialities of migrant families. My thoughts go in a special way to those who are directly involved in the vast phenomenon of migration, and to those who expend their pastoral energy in the service of human mobility. The words of the apostle Paul, 'caritas Christi urget nos,' urge us to give ourselves preferentially to our brothers and sisters who are most in need. With these sentiments, I invoke divine assistance on each one and I affectionately impart to all a special apostolic blessing.

MESS/MIGRANT:REFUGEE DAY/... VIS 061114 (1280)IN BRIEF

CARDINAL NICHOLAS CHEONG JINSUK, METROPOLITAN ARCHBISHOP of Seoul, Korea, will take possession of the title of Mary Immaculate of Lourdes at Boccea, Via Santa Bernadette 23, Rome, at midday on November 19, according to a communique released today by the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff.

ARCHBISHOP CELESTINO MIGLIORE, HOLY SEE PERMANENT OBSERVER to the United Nations in New York delivered an address on November 13 before the 61st UN General Assembly, which is considering the question of "strengthening the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations." In his English-language speech, the archbishop affirmed the importance of "collaboration between coordinators and humanitarian agencies ... in order to formulate agreements and policies which respect the specificities and mandates of the humanitarian agencies while allowing them to continue to operate constructively within a given circumstance."

.../IN BRIEF/... VIS 061114 (140)OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 14, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed

- Msgr. Luis Urbanc, rector of the major seminary of Tucuman, Argentina, as coadjutor bishop of Catamarca (area 68,765, population 334,000, Catholics 327,000, priests 68, permanent deacons 1, religious 59), Argentina. The bishop-elect was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1958 and ordained a priest in 1982.

- Msgr. Pedro Maria Laxague, vicar general of the archdiocese of Bahia Blanca, Argentina, as auxiliary bishop of the same diocese (area 82,624, population 708,000, Catholics 602,000, priests 95, permanent deacons 16, religious 247). The bishop-elect was born in Buenos Aires in 1952 and ordained a priest in 1989.

- Cardinal Francesco Marchisano, president of the Labor Office of the Apostolic See, as member of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

NEC:NEA:NA/.../URBANC:LAXAGUE:MARCHISANO VIS 061114 (140)

 

 

- Secularization, a Challenge for the Church in Germany

- Communicate the Tangible Contents of Christian Faith

- Program of Pope's Apostolic Trip to Turkey

- Experiencing the Greatness of Christianity

- Change Development Models and Fight against Hunger

- Respect Commitments for the Denuclearization of Korea

- In Brief

- Audiences

- Other Pontifical Acts

SECULARIZATION, A CHALLENGE FOR THE CHURCH IN GERMANY

VATICAN CITY, NOV 11, 2006 (VIS) - In the talk he delivered yesterday to the first group of prelates from the German Bishops' Conference, at the end of their "ad limina" visit, the Pope affirmed that the secularization of society represents "a providential challenge that must be faced with courage."

"The Federal Republic of Germany," said the Holy Father, "shares with the entire western world a situation where culture is dominated by secularization, in which God tends to disappear from the public conscience, the uniqueness of the image of Christ fades, and the values formed by ecclesial tradition lose their effectiveness."

"For this reason, no small number of people have become discouraged and resigned; attitudes that hinder the act of witnessing to the Gospel of Christ that liberates and saves." A lot of people ask themselves, he added, "whether Christianity is not perhaps, in the end, just one proposed meaning among many others? ... At the same time however, given the fragile and transitory nature of the majority of the other offers, many people come back hopefully to interrogate and examine the Christian message, and from us they expect convincing answers."

On the subject of relations with Islam, Benedict XVI told the bishops of his "respect and benevolence" for the many Muslims living in Germany. They, he added, "who remain so seriously attached to their beliefs and rites, have the right to our humble and determined witness of Jesus Christ. To make such witness credible, great efforts are required. For this reason, in areas with a large Muslim population, there must be Catholic interlocutors with the indispensable linguistic and historical-religious knowledge to make them capable of establishing a dialogue with Muslims. And it is of course clear that such dialogue requires, in the first place, a profound knowledge of their own Catholic faith."

The Pope then proceeded to consider the question of religious education, Catholic schools and the formation of Catholic adults. "Religious education curricula," he said, "must be guided by the Catechism of the Catholic Church. ... It is of fundamental importance that the introduction into a Catholic view of the world and into the practice of the faith, as well as the integral formation of the person, are not transmitted only in the course of religion lessons," but also "through the personal witness of teachers." As for institutions and activities for the formation of adults, care must be taken, he said, "with the choice of subjects and educators, so that the central message of the faith and of the Christian way of life do not get pushed into the background."

"Faithfulness to the 'depositum fidei,' as represented in the Church's Magisterium, is the indispensable condition for serious theological research and teaching."

Turning to the subject of formation in seminaries, the Holy Father stressed the importance of the "introductory course that takes place before the beginning of studies," especially because an ever greater number of candidates to the priesthood "do not come from a traditional Catholic background. ... During this introductory year, students will be able to gain a clearer view of their vocation to the priesthood, and those in charge of priestly formation will have the chance to form an opinion of the candidates, of their human maturity and of their life of faith. On the other hand, the group dynamics of role-playing and self-awareness exercises, and other psychological experiments, are less appropriate, and can rather cause confusion and insecurity."

In closing, Pope Benedict considered "an urgent problem: the relationship between priests and faithful in accomplishing the mission of the Church." Expressing his thanks for the active collaboration of so many lay faithful who "contribute to supporting the Church," the Pope recalled that "the sermon during Mass is a duty associated with ordained ministry," and that "where there is a sufficient number of priests and deacons, the distribution of Communion is their duty."

"Only the Sacrament of Holy Orders enables its recipient to act 'in persona Christi.' This fact must be emphasized with patience and wisdom, and the necessary conclusions drawn."

AL/.../GERMANY VIS 061113 (690)COMMUNICATE THE TANGIBLE CONTENTS OF CHRISTIAN FAITH

VATICAN CITY, NOV 11, 2006 (VIS) - Today in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall, Benedict XVI received members of the "Villa Nazareth" organization, an educational institution founded by Cardinal Domenico Tardini in 1946. Its current president is Cardinal Achille Silvestrini, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.

Villa Nazareth is celebrating its 60th anniversary said the Holy Father, recalling how the organization "seeks to appreciate the intelligence of its pupils while respecting the freedom of the individual," and how it is "oriented towards seeing the authentic _expression of Christian love in service to others. Villa Nazareth wishes to form its young people ... in a spirit of openness to dialogue, with the application of a form of reason purified in the crucible of faith. ... Faith scrutinizes the invisible and is, hence, friend to the reason that poses the essential questions that give meaning to our earthly journey."

The Holy Father then went on to refer to the "diaconate," the role played by Christian culture "in helping those who seek to discover Him Who is hidden ... in the events of everyday life." And, he continued, "it must not be forgotten that the Lord is said to be fed, to be given drink, to be clothed, welcomed and visited in all people in need. He is, then, also 'hidden' in such person and events. ... No culture can rest self-satisfied until it discovers that that it must be attentive to the real and profound needs of mankind, of all men and women."

"The contents of Jesus' revelation are tangible, and Christian-inspired intellectuals must always be ready to communicate them when speaking to people in search of solutions capable of improving existence and of responding to the disquiet that assails all human hearts. We must, above all, demonstrate the profound correlation that exists between the necessities arising from reflection on human affairs and the divine 'Logos' Who 'became flesh' and came 'to live among us.' Thus we create a fruitful convergence between the postulates of reason and the answers of Revelation. And it is from here that a light emerges to illuminate our path."

AC/DIACONATE CULTURE/VILLA NAZARETH VIS 061113 (370)PROGRAM OF POPE'S APOSTOLIC TRIP TO TURKEY

VATICAN CITY, NOV 11, 2006 (VIS) - Made public today was the program of the Pope's forthcoming apostolic trip to Turkey, which is due to take place from November 28 to December 1.

At 9 a.m. on November 28, the Holy Father will depart from Rome's Fiumicino airport bound for Ankara, where he is due land at Esenboga international airport at 1 p.m. On arrival, he will visit the Mausoleum of Ataturk, after which the welcome ceremony will take place. Pope Benedict will then pay a courtesy visit to the president of the republic before meeting with the vice prime minister, the president for religious affairs and the diplomatic corps.

On Wednesday, November 29, Benedict XVI is due to celebrate Mass at Ephesus. That afternoon he will travel to Istanbul where he will visit the patriarchal church of St. George and hold a private meeting with His Holiness Bartholomew I, ecumenical patriarch.

The following day, November 30, the Holy Father will participate in the divine liturgy at the patriarchal church of St. George, where he will pronounce an address and sign a joint declaration with His Holiness Bartholomew I. The Pope will then go on to visit the museum of Santa Sophia, and the Armenian cathedral where he will meet with His Beatitude Mesrob II, Armenian patriarch of Istanbul.

Later the same day, he will meet the Syro-Orthodox patriarch and the chief rabbi of Turkey. That evening, he is scheduled to dine with members of the Catholic episcopal conference.

On Friday, December 1, the Holy Father will celebrate Mass in Istanbul's cathedral of the Holy Spirit before travelling to the city's airport where the departure ceremony will take place. The papal plane will take off at 1.15 p.m., and is due to arrive in Rome at 2.45 p.m.

BXVI-PROGRAM/TURKEY TRIP/... VIS 061113 (310)EXPERIENCING THE GREATNESS OF CHRISTIANITY

VATICAN CITY, NOV 11, 2006 (VIS) - At the close of his meeting with prelates from the Conference of Swiss Bishops and heads of certain dicasteries of the Roman Curia, which took place on the afternoon of November 9, Benedict XVI pronounced an address, the text of which was made public today.

"We must nor allow our faith to be drained by too much discussion on a multiplicity of less-important details," said the Pope. "It is fundamental to highlight the greatness of our faith. ... Above all, it is important to cultivate a personal relationship with God, with the God Who showed Himself to us in Christ."

"God," he continued, "is 'Spiritus creator,' He is 'Logos,' He is reason. Because of this our faith is something that involves reason. It can be transmitted through reason and need not hide itself in the face of reason, not even the reason of our own times. ... Reason, indeed, has a heart, and so was able to renounce its own immensity and become flesh. In this and only in this, I believe, lies the ultimate and true greatness of our concept of God. We know that God is not a philosophical hypothesis, He is not something that perhaps exists, rather we know Him and He knows us. And we can know Him ever better if we maintain a dialogue with Him.

"Hence," the Holy Father added, "it is a fundamental task of pastoral care to teach others to pray and to learn to do so ourselves." In this context, he referred to the importance of "increasing the number of prayer schools, ... where personal prayer can be learned it all its dimensions."

"This intimacy with God and, hence, the experience of the presence of God is what brings us ... to experience the greatness of Christianity. It helps us to overcome all pettiness, and must be experienced and realized day by day - suffering and loving, in joy and in sadness."

Another theme to which the Holy Father turned his attention during his address to the prelates was that of ethics. "I often hear it said that people today feel nostalgia for God, spirituality and religion, and that they begin to see the Church as a possible interlocutor from which something may be received in this regard. ... However, what people find very difficult are the ethics the Church proclaims. I have long reflected upon this matter, and I see ever more clearly how, in our time, it is as if ethics have divided into two parts. Modern society is not simply ethic-less but has, so to say, 'discovered' and claimed another aspect of ethics which, in the Church's announcement over recent decades ... has not been sufficiently emphasized. This includes the great themes of peace, non-violence, justice for all, care for the poor and respect for creation.

"All this," he added, "has grown into an ethical system which has great power as a political force and, for many people, represents a substitute or surrogate for religion. In place of religion, which is seen as a metaphysical entity concerning the hereafter - perhaps even as something individualistic - these great moral themes appear to be the essential questions that confer dignity upon man."

"The other aspect of ethics, which politics not infrequently takes up in a highly controversial manner, concerns life. Part of this is the commitment to life from conception to natural death; in other words, defending life against abortion and euthanasia, against its manipulation, and against man's self-legitimization to dispose of life as he chooses. Often, people seek to justify such intervention with the apparently exalted intention of its being useful to future generations."

"The ethics of marriage and the family are part of the same context. Marriage is, so to say, becoming ever more marginalized. We know the example of certain countries where there have been legislative modifications according to which marriage is no longer defined as a bond between man and woman, but as a bond between persons. This clearly destroys the basic idea (of marriage), and society, from its very roots, becomes something completely different."

Benedict XVI went on: "The belief that sexuality, eros and marriage, as the union between a man and a woman, go together ... is becoming ever weaker. All kinds of union appear absolutely normal," and "this is presented as a kind of morality of non-discrimination and a form of freedom that is mankind's due. Thus the indissolubility of marriage has become an almost utopian idea." Moreover, although "the problem of the disturbing drop in birth rates has multiple explanations," a decisive factor is that "people have little faith in the future," and that "the family as a durable community" is considered an unattainable goal.

"In these areas, then, our announcement comes up against a counter-belief of society, with a sort of anti-morality based on its concept of freedom as the faculty to decide autonomously without predefined guidance, as non-discrimination, and hence as the approval of all possibilities."

"But other beliefs have not disappeared. They exist, and I believe we must make every effort to bring these two parts of ethics back together, and make it clear that they are inseparably linked. ... I believe we are facing a great task: on the one hand, ensuring that Christianity does not appear as mere moralism but as a gift in which we are given a love that supports us. ... On the other hand, in this context of donated love, we must advance towards giving concrete form (to our ideas), on the foundation of the Ten Commandments which, with Christ and the Church, we must read in our own time in a new and progressive light."

AC/SWISS BISHOPS/... VIS 061113 (960)CHANGE DEVELOPMENT MODELS AND FIGHT AGAINST HUNGER

VATICAN CITY, NOV 12, 2006 (VIS) - At midday today, the Pope appeared at the window of his study to pray the Angelus with the thousands of pilgrims who, despite the rain, filled St. Peter's Square below.

In remarks before the Angelus prayer, the Pope recalled that today in Italy is the Day of Thanksgiving, the theme of which is: "The earth, a gift for the entire human family." In Christian families, he said, "children are taught always to thank the Lord before eating, with a brief prayer and the sign of the cross. This custom must be conserved and rediscovered, because it educates people not to take their 'daily bread' for granted but to recognize it as a gift of Providence.

"We should become accustomed to blessing the Creator for all things," the Pope added. "Jesus taught His disciples to pray by asking the heavenly Father not for 'my' but for 'our' daily bread. In this way, He wished every man and woman to feel a shared responsibility for their fellows, that no one may lack the necessities of life. The products of the earth are a gift intended by God 'for the entire human family.'

"And here we touch upon a very painful point: the dramatic problem of hunger which, though it has been tackled, even recently, at the highest institutional level, such as the United Nations and in particular the FAO, remains a very serious problem. The latest FAO annual report confirmed what the Church already well knows from the direct experience of her communities and missionaries: that over 800 million people live in a state of undernourishment, and that too many people, especially children, die of hunger."

How, the Pope asked, "can we face this situation which, though repeatedly denounced, shows no sign of improving, indeed, in some ways is getting worse? It is certainly necessary to eliminate the structural causes linked to the system of managing the world economy, which restricts the majority of the planet's resources to a minority of the population. This injustice has been stigmatized on a number of occasions by my venerated predecessors, Servants of God Paul VI and John Paul II. In order to make a significant impression, it is necessary to 'convert' the global development model. It is not only the scandal of hunger that demands as much, but also the emergence of problems associated with the environment and energy. All the same, individuals and families can and must do something to alleviate hunger in the world by adopting a style of life and consumption compatible with the safeguarding of creation," and showing "justice towards those who cultivate the land in all countries" of the world.

The Holy Father concluded by affirming that this Day of Thanksgiving "invites us, on the one hand, to give thanks to God for the fruits of agricultural labor. On the other, it encourages us to make a real commitment to defeating the scourge of hunger."

ANG/HUNGER/... VIS 061113 (500)RESPECT COMMITMENTS FOR THE DENUCLEARIZATION OF KOREA

VATICAN CITY, NOV 13, 2006 (VIS) - Today in the Vatican, the Holy Father received the Letters of Credence of Kagefumi Ueno, the new ambassador of Japan to the Holy See, whom he told that "the rich cultural and spiritual traditions of your country have contributed to the growth of fundamental human values."

The spiritual dimension of society "which promotes authentic dialogue between religions and cultures," he said in his French-language address to the diplomat, "cannot but favor a shared fraternal and united journey, which alone is capable of favoring the integral development of man."

"Today more than ever," the Pope continued, "the search for peace between nations must be a priority of international relations. ... Violence can never be a just response to the problems of societies, because it destroys the dignity, the life and the freedom of the human being it claims to defend. Cultural, political and economic progress are important in order to build peace."

The Holy Father encouraged Japan "to continue decisively in its efforts to contribute to establishing a just and lasting peace in the world, especially in the Far East. In the face of the current crisis in the region, the Holy See encourages bilateral and multilateral negotiations, in the conviction that the solution must be found through peaceful means, and with respect for the commitments assumed by all sides to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula."

Pope Benedict then went on to express the hope "that the international community may continue and intensify its humanitarian aid efforts to the most vulnerable populations, especially in North Korea, so that any interruption does not bring serious consequences to the civilian population." He also underlined Japan's "generous contribution" in "helping poorer countries."

"Interdependence between peoples, as it gradually develops, must be accompanied by a decided commitment to ensure that the fatal consequences of the great disparity ... between developed and developing countries do not become worse, rather that they change into authentic solidarity that stimulates the economic and growth of the poorest nations."

Finally, Benedict XVI expressed his joy for "the respect the Catholic Church enjoys in Japan," and he greeted the bishops and all the faithful, encouraging them "to live ever more firmly in the communion of faith, and to continue in their commitment in favor of peace and reconciliation between the peoples of the region, generously collaborating with their compatriots."

CD/CREDENTIALS/JAPAN:UENO VIS 061113 (410)IN BRIEF

THE HOLY FATHER HAS WRITTEN A MESSAGE TO BISHOP FRANCOIS Maupu of Verdun, France, to mark the 90th anniversary of the First World War battle there, which represented, the Pope writes, "a dark moment in the history of the continent," as well as "one of the symbols of reconciliation between the great European nations that were once enemies." He continues: "May our contemporaries, and in particular the younger generations, learn the lessons of history and, on the basis of the Christian roots and values that greatly contributed to giving shape to the Europe of nations and of peoples, create ties of fraternity and charity among themselves, for the good of everyone and the development of nations!"

ARCHBISHOP CELESTINO MIGLIORE, HOLY SEE PERMANENT OBSERVER to the United Nations in New York delivered an address on November 10 before the second committee of the 61st UN General Assembly, which is considering the question of the eradication of poverty. "The poor," said the archbishop in his English-language speech, "have the right to justice, decent work, adequate food, health and education, in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. ... However, since the poor are many times, by their very condition, excluded from society, their capacity to secure their rights is often very limited. ... The link between peace and development appears quite evident to those on the ground who must confront the constraints placed on the poor and who know, sometimes from bitter experience, that 'development is the new name for peace'."

DURING THE THIRD CONFERENCE TO EXAMINE THE "CONVENTION on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May be Deemed to be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects," currently being held in Geneva, Switzerland, Archbishop Silvano Maria Tomasi C.S., permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations and International Institutions in Geneva, delivered an address in which he stated: "This convention must remain dynamic and flexible. It would be harmful and artificial to limit it and its protocols to what has been achieved thus far. New arms are being developed and produced. It is important that reflection and negotiations keep apace of military reality in order to guarantee that these new arms respect the criteria imposed by the convention, ... and to study whether it is appropriate to negotiate with new instruments where existing agreements do not respond to the new military realities."

.../IN BRIEF/... VIS 061113 (410)AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 13, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Archbishop John Powathil of Changanacherry, India.

- Gilton Bazilio Chiwaula, ambassador of Malawi, on his farewell visit.

- Nine prelates from the German Bishops' Conference, on their "ad limina" visit:

- Cardinal Friedrich Wetter archbishop of Munich and Freising, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishops Engelbert Siebler, Bernhard Hasslberger and Franz Dietl.

- Bishop Walter Mixa of Augsburg, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishops Josef Grunwald and Anton Losinger.

- Bishop Wilhelm Schraml of Passau.

- Bishop Gerhard Ludwig Muller of Regensburg.

On Saturday, November 11, he received in separate audiences:

- Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

- Bishop Franz Kamphaus of Limburg, Germany, accompanied by auxiliary Bishop Gerhard Pieschl, on their "ad limina" visit.

- Francisco Alfredo Salazar Alvarado, ambassador of Ecuador, on his farewell visit.

- Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

AP:AL/.../... VIS 061113 (160)OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 13, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Bishop Romulo Geolina Valles of Kidapawan, Philippines, as archbishop of Zamboanga (area 1,638, population 668,380, Catholics 494,601, priests 65, religious 128), Philippines. The archbishop-elect was born in Maribojoc, Philippines in 1951, he was ordained a priest in 1976, and consecrated bishop in 1997. He succeeds Archbishop Carmelo Dominator F. Morelos, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese, the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Bishop Sergio Lasam Utleg of Ilagan, Philippines, as bishop of Laoag (area 3,386, population 671,000, Catholics 450,000, priests 48, religious 79), Philippines.

- Fr. Jose Alejandro Castano Arbelaez O.A.R. pastor of "Sagrado Corazon" parish in Manizales, as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Cali (area 2,504, population 2,563,177, Catholics 2,178,700, priests 304, permanent deacons 18, religious 272), Colombia. The bishop-elect was born in La Ceja, Colombia in 1945 and ordained a priest in 1971.

NER:RE:NEA/.../... VIS 061113 (160)

 

Swiss Bishops' Visit Marked by Collegial Affection

- Pope Receives President of Cyprus

- Audiences

 SWISS BISHOPS' VISIT MARKED BY COLLEGIAL AFFECTION

VATICAN CITY, NOV 10, 2006 (VIS) - Given below is the text of a communique made public today, concerning the "ad limina" visit of prelates from the Conference of Swiss Bishops who, from November 7 to 9, met in the Vatican with the Holy Father and representatives of the Roman Curia.

"The meeting was characterized by true collegial affection," the communique reads, "during which - in frank dialogue and with a spirit of collaboration - consideration was given to various questions concerning the situation of the Church in Switzerland and elsewhere. The following themes were discussed:

"The unity of the bishops among themselves, and with Peter's Successor; the collaboration of bishops.

"The bishop as master of faith, and the principal doctrinal and pastoral problems in Swiss dioceses.

"Communion with the bishop; the role of the priest in the parish and in pastoral care groups; pastoral assistants.

"Seminaries and the various faculties and schools of theology in the mission of the Church.

"Liturgical renewal and the observance of discipline.

"The Motu Proprio 'Misericordia Dei,' for a relaunch of the pastoral care of the Sacrament of Penance.

"The ecclesiastical corporations of public law.

"Ecumenism.

"The meeting served to improve mutual understanding and to strengthen ties of unity. It also clearly demonstrated the common desire of Swiss bishops to face current challenges with hope, responsibility and courage, in trusting collaboration with the action of God at work in the hearts of men and women.

"The meeting ended with the words of Bishop Amedee Grab O.S.B., who, in the name of his brother prelates, thanked the Holy Father and his collaborators for the days spent in the Vatican, expressing particular gratitude for the three talks given by His Holiness."

.../SWISS BISHOPS/GRAB VIS 061110 (300)POPE RECEIVES PRESIDENT OF CYPRUS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 10, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the following communique at midday today:

"This morning, November 10, Tassos Papadopoulos, president of the Republic of Cyprus, was received in audience by the Holy Father Benedict XVI. Subsequently, the president went on to visit Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B.

"The cordial discussions provided an opportunity for an exchange of information and opinions on the current situation in Cyprus and its future prospects, also in the light of the commitments of the international community. Particular attention was given to the conditions in which the various Christian communities on the island live and work, and the freedom enjoyed by the Catholic faithful was noted with satisfaction

"With reference to Europe, the talks dwelt above all on questions concerning the process of European integration, and on a dialogue between cultures and religions to favor mutual understanding. Finally, attention was also given to certain aspects of the international situation and, in particular, to the welcome shown by the Republic of Cyprus to refugees during the recent conflict in Lebanon."

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VATICAN CITY, NOV 10, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Nine prelates from the German Bishops' Conference, on their "ad limina" visit:

- Archbishop Hans-Josef Becker of Paderborn, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishops Karl-Heinz Wiesemann, Manfred Grothe, Matthias Konig.

- Bishop Joachim Wanke of Erfurt, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishop Reinhard Hauke.

- Bishop Heinz Josef Algermissen of Fulda, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishop Karlheinz Diez.

- Bishop Gerhard Feige of Magdeburg.

- A group of prelates from the German Bishops' Conference, at the end of their "ad limina" visit.

This evening, he is scheduled to receive in audience Cardinal William Joseph Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

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- Papal Address to Swiss Bishops

- Eucharistic Adoration Must Become Ever More Widespread

- Communique on Homosexual Demonstration in Jerusalem

- Cooperation and Political Will in Support of Refugees

- The Right to Adequate Nourishment Is Inalienable

- Message for World Day of Migrants and Refugees

- Audiences

 

PAPAL ADDRESS TO SWISS BISHOPSVATICAN CITY, NOV 9, 2006 (VIS) - Made public yesterday afternoon was a talk given by the Pope to prelates from the Conference of Swiss Bishops during a meeting held in the Vatican on the morning of Tuesday, November 7.

The Holy Father began his talk by addressing the question of faith, affirming that if people once used to grow in this virtue "as a part of life," today "the opposite seems more natural, in other words, that in the end it is not possible to believe, that in fact God is absent. In any case, the faith of the Church appears to be a thing of the distant past." For this reason, "I believe it is important to become aware of the fact that faith is at the center of everything."

"Faith," said the Pope, "is above all faith in God. ... This centrality of God must, I believe, become visible in a completely new way in all our thoughts and actions. It is what animates our activities, which, otherwise, can easily degenerate into activism and become empty of meaning."

"This complete form of faith as expressed by the Creed, of a faith in and with the Church as a living entity in which the Lord is at work," is what "we must seek to put truly at the center of our activities. Even today, we see this very clearly: development causes damage when it is promoted exclusively, without (also) nourishing the soul."

"If, alongside aid in favor of developing countries, alongside the teaching of everything man is capable of doing, everything his intelligence has invented and his will made possible, if alongside all that, his soul is not also illuminated ... then we learn only how to destroy. For this reason, I believe, we must reinforce our missionary responsibilities. If we are happy in our faith, we feel obliged to speak of it to others; the extent to which mankind welcomes it is in the hands of God."

Turning to address the question Catholic education, Benedict XVI mentioned "one thing which causes us all 'concern,' in the positive sense of the word: ... the fact that the theological formation of future priests and of other teachers and announcers of the faith should be outstanding. We need, then, good theological faculties, good major seminaries and well-trained teachers of theology."

"The unity of Scripture," Pope Benedict said, "is not a purely historical or critical fact, ... but a theological fact. These writings form one Scripture, and can be fully understood only if read in 'analogia fidei,' as a unit in which there is a movement towards Christ and, conversely, in which Christ draws all history to Him." In this context, the Pope underlined the importance that, "alongside, with and within historical-critical exegesis," there be "an introduction to living Scripture as the actual Word of God."

The Pope then went on to speak about catechesis which "over the last fifty years has, on the one hand, made considerable progress in terms of methodology but, on the other, has lost a lot in terms of anthropology and the search for points of reference, to such a degree that it often does not even manage to cover the contents of the faith." It is important, Benedict XVI continued, for catechesis to fully value the faith, "and to find ways for that faith to be understood and accepted. Because religious ignorance today has reached a frightening level."

On the subject of the liturgy, the papal address made it clear that this "is not some 'self-_expression' of the community which in the liturgy enters center stage, it is rather the community abandoning its 'being itself' to enter the great banquet of the poor, to become part of the great living community in which God Himself nourishes us. ... And it must be borne in mind that the homily is not an interruption of the liturgy for the purposes of making a speech, but that it is part of the sacramental event, bringing the Word of God into the present moment of the community."

"This means that the homily is itself part of the mystery, of the celebration of the mystery, and hence cannot be separated therefrom," said the Pope, highlighting the importance of it being the celebrant who pronounces the homily. "The priesthood is a thing of beauty only if the mission to be accomplished is seen as a whole, from which things cannot be cut off here and there. And this mission has always involved - even in the Old Testament rite - the priest's duty to link the sacrifice with the Word, which is an integral part of the whole."

As for the Sacrament of Penance, said the Holy Father, "we truly must learn it anew. Even from a purely anthropological point of view it is important, on the one hand, to recognize sin and, on the other, to exercise forgiveness. The widespread lack of awareness of sin is a worrying phenomenon of our times. The gift of the Sacrament of Penance consists, then, not only in the fact that we receive forgiveness, but also in the fact that we become aware of our need for forgiveness, ... and so we can also better understand others and forgive them."

On the question of episcopal ministry, the Pope highlighted the importance "that bishops, as successors of the Apostles, ... bear true responsibility for the local Churches entrusted by the Lord to their care. ... On the other hand, they must open the local Churches to the Universal Church." In this context, the Holy Father mentioned the difficulties of the Orthodox "with their autocepahlous Churches," and of Protestants "with the breakup of regional Churches. ... We are aware," he added, "of the enormous significance of universality, how important it is that the Church should open herself to totality, truly becoming, in her universality, one Church."

In closing, Benedict XVI touched on the question of ecumenism, highlighting the importance of guaranteeing the essential and God-given values of our society. "I believe," he concluded, "that if we learn to act together in this field we can achieve a large measure of unity, even where full theological and sacramental unity is not yet possible."

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EUCHARISTIC ADORATION MUST BECOME EVER MORE WIDESPREAD

VATICAN CITY, NOV 9, 2006 (VIS) - This morning, the Holy Father received participants in the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses.

In his address to the delegates, the Pope first recalled how they are currently preparing the 49th International Eucharistic Congress, due to be held in Quebec, Canada, in June 2008. Eucharistic congresses, he went on, "are always a source of spiritual renewal, an occasion to make better known the Blessed Eucharist, which was the most valuable treasure Jesus left us. They also constitute an encouragement for the Church to spread the love of Christ at all levels of society, and to testify to it without hesitation."

The presence at the gathering of a number of representatives of the Adorers of the Eucharist, said Benedict XVI, gave him the opportunity to recall "just how beneficial the rediscovery of Eucharistic adoration by many Christians is. ... How much need modern humanity has to rediscover the source of its hope in the Sacrament of the Eucharist! I thank the Lord because many parishes, alongside the devout celebration of Mass, are educating the faithful in Eucharistic adoration. And it is my hope that - also in view of the next International Eucharistic Congress - this practice will become ever more widespread."

Referring to the forthcoming post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on the Eucharist, which will bring together the indications that arose during the October 2005 Synod on that Sacrament, the Pope concluded by giving assurances that the document "will help the Church to prepare and celebrate ... the Eucharistic congress to be held in June 2008."

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COMMUNIQUE ON HOMOSEXUAL DEMONSTRATION IN JERUSALEM

VATICAN CITY, NOV 9, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the following communique yesterday afternoon:

"With regret it was learned that, ... on November 10, a so-called 'demonstration of homosexual pride' is due to take place in Jerusalem.

"Reiterating the pronouncements of the Catechism of the Catholic Church concerning people with deep-seated homosexual tendencies (para. 2358), the Holy See expresses its intense disapproval of this initiative, because it constitutes a grave affront to the feelings of millions of Jewish, Muslim and Christian believers, who all recognize the sacred character of the city of Jerusalem and ask that their beliefs be respected.

"In the light of these factors and considering that on previous occasions religious values have been systematically offended, the Holy See nourishes the hope that the matter may be given due reconsideration.

"A note to the same effect has been presented by the apostolic nunciature in Israel to that country's ministry for foreign affairs."

That note, written in English, begins: "The Holy See has reiterated on many occasions that the right to freedom of _expression, sanctioned by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is subject to just limits, in particular when the exercise of this right would offend the religious sentiments of believers."

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COOPERATION AND POLITICAL WILL IN SUPPORT OF REFUGEES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 9, 2006 (VIS) - Archbishop Celestino Migliore, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York, yesterday participated in the third committee of the 61st U.N. General Assembly, which was meeting to consider the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The prelate began his English-language talk by expressing the Holy See's appreciation for "the dedicated work" of the UNHCR. "Over the years," he continued, "a legal system adapted to the evolving demands of a changing and complex reality has been developed in order to afford protection to those who need it. The latest examples are the adoption of the Conclusion on Women and Girls at Risk and of the Conclusion on Identification, Prevention and Reduction of Statelessness and Protection of Stateless Persons."

Archbishop Migliore went on to recall how the UNHCR "is also involved in the protection of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), where ... it takes leadership responsibility for protection, emergency shelter and camp coordination, and management." Such protection, he continued, "requires more than a good legal framework: cooperation and political will are also needed to make such a framework function properly.

"Unfortunately," he added, "a certain deterioration of the legal concept of asylum appears to be taking place as some States give preference to national legislation or bilateral agreements over international refugee law. Moreover, access to asylum has also become more difficult because of the phenomenon of mixed flows; and some countries do not acknowledge or uphold internationally established rights in their domestic legislation, such as freedom of movement, the right to work, and the recognition of qualifications."

Lack of funds for food, healthcare and education programs is another of the serious problems faced by the UNHCR, said the archbishop. However, he also identified some positive aspects, such as the end of certain conflicts enabling some refugees to return home. "When that happens," he said, "a strong, unified cooperation between agencies involved in relief assistance and post-conflict recovery is needed so that a sustainable return in safety and dignity can be ensured along with the reconstruction of the local social and economic infrastructure."

"A lasting solution to the problem of refugees and IDPs," he concluded, "will affect not only them but, by extension, will also have an impact upon the whole human family. These norms for the protection of those in need should be applied at national, regional and international levels."

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THE RIGHT TO ADEQUATE NOURISHMENT IS INALIENABLE

VATICAN CITY, NOV 9, 2006 (VIS) - Made public today was a talk delivered on November 4 by Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, at the Rome headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

In the course of the "Special Event" organized by the FAO at the end of the 23rd session of the intergovernmental committee for Food Security, Cardinal Martino indicated that "the right to have enough to eat is fundamental and inalienable for every person and for their family.

"It is the task of nations, their leaders, their economic powers, and all people of good will," he added in his English-language address, "to seek every opportunity for a more equitable sharing of resources which are not lacking, and of consumer goods; for by this sharing, all will express a true solidarity rooted in a knowledge of and appreciation for the dignity of every human person."

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MESSAGE FOR WORLD DAY OF MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 9, 2006 (VIS) - In the Holy See Press Office at 11.30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 14, a press conference will be held to present the Holy Father's Message for the 93rd World Day of Migrants and Refugees. The Day is due to be celebrated on January 14, 2007, on the theme of "the emigrant family."

Participating in the press conference will be Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino and Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, respectively president and secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 9, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences 14 prelates from the German Bishops' Conference, on their "ad limina" visit:

- Cardinal Karl Lehmann, bishop of Mainz, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishops Werner Guballa and Ulrich Neymeyr.

- Bishop Gebhard Furst of Rottenburg-Stuttgart, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishops Johannes Kreidler and Thomas Maria Renz.

- Archbishop Werner Thissen of Hamburg, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishops Norbert Werbs and Hans-Jochen Jaschke.

- Bishop Norbert Trelle of Hildesheim, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishops Hans-Georg Koitz and Nikolaus Schwerdtfeger.

- Bishop Franz-Josef Hermann Bode of Osnabruck, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishop Theodor Kettmann.

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- God Must Be at the Center of Our Lives

- Christ Is the Apex of the History of Salvation

- The World Urgently Needs Peace

GOD MUST BE AT THE CENTER OF OUR LIVES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 8, 2006 (VIS) - Made public today was the homily pronounced by the Pope yesterday during a Mass concelebrated in the Vatican's "Redemptoris mater" Chapel with bishops from Switzerland.

The Holy Father's address to Swiss bishops, of which VIS yesterday published a summary, was not, in fact, delivered at all. According to a communique from the Holy See Press Office released yesterday afternoon, the text published yesterday "reflected the contents of a draft version prepared earlier for the Swiss bishops 'ad limina' visit of February 2005."

In his off-the-cuff homily during yesterday's Mass, Benedict XVI noted how the Gospel readings he and the Swiss prelates had just heard had "a common theme, which could be summed up in the phrase: God never fails."

Referring to the parable of the guests who decide not to attend the banquet, the Holy Father indicated how God "does not fail because He always finds new ways to reach mankind, and to open His great house in order to fill it entirely. ... God does not fail, even today, though so often we hear the word 'no.' ... We are aware that churches are becoming ever less full, that seminaries continue to empty, that religious houses are ever emptier; we know all the forms in which this 'no-I've-more-important-things-to-do' can present itself."

"Have this mind among yourselves, which was in Christ Jesus," said the Pope quoting the words of St. Paul. "Learn to think as Christ thought, learn to think with Him! Such thought is not just of the mind, but also of the heart. ... If we enter into His feelings, ... love for God is reawakened within us. We feel how beautiful it is that He exists, and that we can know Him, that we know Him in the face of Jesus Christ Who suffered for us."

"I believe" the Pope continued, "that we must commit ourselves above all to listening to the Lord, to prayer, to a profound participation in the Sacraments, to learning God's feelings in the face and the sufferings of our fellows, in order to be infected by His joy, by His zeal, by His love, and to contemplate the world with Him. ... If we are able to do this, then even amid so many 'nos,' we will again find men and women who await Him; perhaps strange men and women, as the parable clearly says, but who are called to enter His hall."

The Holy Father concluded his homily by highlighting the fact that problems "cannot be resolved if God is not placed at the center, if God does not become visible in the world once more, if He does not become a determining force in our lives, and if He does not, through us, decisively enter the world. It is my belief that the destiny of the world today, in its current dramatic situation, depends upon this: whether God - the God of Jesus Christ - exists and is recognized as such, or whether He disappears. Our concern is that He should remain present."

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CHRIST IS THE APEX OF THE HISTORY OF SALVATION

VATICAN CITY, NOV 8, 2006 (VIS) - In today's general audience, held in St. Peter's Square in the presence of more than 15,000 people, Benedict XVI continued his catechesis on the figure of St. Paul.

The meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus, the Pope explained, "literally revolutionized his life. Christ became his raison d'etre and the profound inspiration behind all his apostolic labors. ... In truth, Christ Jesus is the apex of the history of salvation and, hence, the true point of reference in dialogue with other religions."

"Paul helps us to understand the absolutely fundamental and irreplaceable value of the faith," said the Holy Father, quoting the Apostle's words: "we have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the Law." Being justified, the Holy Father continued, "means being made righteous, in other words being accepted by God's merciful justice and, ... being able to establish a much more authentic relationship with our fellows."

In the light of his meeting with Christ, Paul, who was not a man who had lived outside the Law, understood "that he had been seeking to construct his own justice, and that with that justice he had lived for himself. He understood that it was absolutely necessary to give a new direction to his life. ... Before the cross of Christ, the extreme _expression of His sacrifice, no one can boast of themselves, of their own justice."

"Reflecting upon the meaning of justification not by works but by faith we have come to the second defining component of Christian identity," said Pope Benedict. Indeed, Christian identity has two elements: "not seeking oneself by oneself, but receiving oneself from Christ and giving oneself to Christ," and "participating personally in Christ's own story, to the point of immerging oneself in Him and sharing both His death and His life."

"For Paul," he concluded, "it is not enough to say that Christians are baptized or that they are believers. For him, it is equally important to say that they are 'in Christ Jesus.' ... That which we, as Christians, are, we owe it only to Him and to His grace. And because nothing and no one can take His place, then to nothing else and to no one else do we pay the homage we pay to Him. No idol must contaminate our spiritual universe. Otherwise, instead of enjoying the freedom we have acquired, we would fall into a form of humiliating slavery. ... Our radical devotion to Christ and the fact that we 'are in Him' must infuse us with a sense of complete trust."

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THE WORLD URGENTLY NEEDS PEACE

VATICAN CITY, NOV 8, 2006 (VIS) - In greetings at the close of today's general audience, the Pope addressed himself especially to young people of different nations and religious traditions who recently gathered in Assisi, Italy, to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the Inter-religious Meeting of Prayer for Peace called by John Paul II.

Speaking English, the Holy Father thanked the various religious leaders "who enabled the young people to take part in this event, and the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue which organized it.

"Dear young friends," he added, "our world urgently needs peace! The Assisi meeting emphasized the power of prayer in building peace. Genuine prayer transforms hearts, opens us to dialogue, understanding and reconciliation, and breaks down the walls erected by violence, hatred and revenge. May you now return to your own religious communities as witnesses to 'the spirit of Assisi,' messengers of that peace which is God's gracious gift, and living signs of hope for our world."

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- Holy Father Meets with Swiss Bishops

- Pope Purchases First Bond of Fund for Immunization

- Church Supports Promoters of International Solidarity

- In Memoriam

 

HOLY FATHER MEETS WITH SWISS BISHOPSVATICAN CITY, NOV 7, 2006 (VIS) - Early this morning, Benedict XVI presided at a Eucharistic concelebration in the Vatican's "Redemptoris Mater" Chapel, with prelates from the Conference of Swiss Bishops.

Later, the Pope held a meeting with the Swiss prelates, which was also attended by heads of dicasteries of the Roman Curia and had the aim of "considering certain aspects of the current situation of the Church in Switzerland, identifying those elements worthy of being intensified and promoted, and those in need of correction and purification."

The Holy Father told the Swiss bishops that this meeting was, in some way, "the conclusion of their 'ad limina' visit of February 2005, because on that occasion it had not been possible to accomplish one of the essential parts of the process, the meeting with John Paul II."

"The advance of secularization and of relativism means not only that the Sacraments, especially participation in Sunday Mass, are reduced in frequency, but also that the moral values proposed by the Church are put in doubt," said the Pope. In this context, he referred to the crisis of marriage and the family, the increase in divorce and abortions, and unions between people of the same sex, all of which, he said, "are evident signs of de-Christianization."

After highlighting the fact that many people live "as if God does not exist," the Pope called upon the prelates "to ensure that the Word of God and the Christian message are understood," and insisted they should adopt unanimous positions on theological and moral questions. "The fundamental duty of the bishop, pastor, and master of faith," he recalled, "is to invite the faithful to a full acceptance of Church teaching."

On the subject of the liturgy, Benedict XVI affirmed that "it is a right and duty of everyone to ensure it be celebrated in accordance with the rules laid down by the Church." As for Sunday Mass, he stressed the need "to avoid its being substituted, if there are no important reasons to do so, by a celebration of the Word," and "to ensure the homily remains an important moment of doctrinal and spiritual formation, ... reserved to the priest or the deacon."

In the face of "the crisis being suffered by the Sacrament of Penance," as the bishops had highlighted in their five-yearly reports, Pope Benedict identified the need "for dioceses to relaunch pastoral activity aimed at encouraging the faithful to individual confession. ... Call upon priests to be assiduous confessors, generously offering the faithful appropriate times for individual confession; encourage the priests to avail themselves frequently of this Sacrament". Moreover, he continued, "priests must rigorously observe Church norms concerning collective absolution, ... which can only take place under truly exceptional circumstances."

Turning to consider the collaboration of lay people in priestly ministry, Benedict XVI explained that "care must be taken to ensure, ... in parishes and pastoral centers, that the priest remains the pastor and that lay people help the priest, collaborating with him in the various sectors of pastoral life. ... The importance of the laity's role must not bring us to underestimate the ministry of priests, so indispensable for the life of the Church." In this context, the Pope called for "an intensification in the formation of lay people to increase their faith and doctrinal knowledge, and grant them spiritual energies."

The Pope then considered the question of priestly and religious vocations, "a constant concern for the Church in your country," he said. "For the future of the Church in Switzerland, it is important to oversee the organization and orientation of seminaries and of the various faculties and schools of theology, ... with a view to discernment and to the profound human, spiritual, cultural and pastoral formation of candidates to the priesthood. Be equally attentive," he told the bishops, "to the initial and permanent formation of future priests, deacons and pastoral lay workers. A sure and faithful teaching of the tradition and Magisterium of the Church will ensure that everyone discovers the richness of Catholic faith."

"Ecumenism," he concluded, "is a sector in which the Catholic Church is irrevocably committed. The religious history of your country and your later experiences give you a special responsibility and mission in this field. Encourage your communities to commit themselves to an ecumenical journey based on the principles expressed in the Conciliar Decree 'Unitatis redintegratio' and in the 'Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism'."

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POPE PURCHASES FIRST BOND OF FUND FOR IMMUNIZATION

VATICAN CITY, NOV 7, 2006 (VIS) - Today in London, England, Cardinal Renato Raffale Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, purchased, in the Holy Father's name, the first bond for the eradication of poverty issued by the International Financing Facility for Immunization (IFFIm).

The IFFIm came into being in the wake of a project presented by Gordon Brown, British Chancellor of the Exchequer, at an international seminar on "Poverty and Globalization: Financing for Development," organized by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace in 2004. The money raised will go directly to those most in need, especially children. Purchase of the bonds - which are guaranteed by various governments who will pay the interest and reimburse them on the expiry date - is open to anyone: institutions, organizations and private citizens.

"Benedict XVI's gesture, at once real and symbolic, expresses the Holy See's full support for an initiative which, with broad international guarantees, will produce immediate and direct advantages in the field of aid and development, producing new financing with specific and urgent aims," says a communique made public today. For example, thanks to the IFFIm, "by 2015, in 72 countries the lives of 10 million people will have been saved, 5 million of them children."

In a brief address delivered in English at the moment of purchasing the first bond, Cardinal Martino said: "People living in poverty are looking forward to the time when corruption at the various levels of government or in the social sector will no longer hinder opportunities for development from reaching all members of society. A government that is truly responsive to the needs of its people is not only a necessity for development, it should also be seen as a right.

"Pope Benedict XVI believes that this is the time," he added. "This is why he has decided that the Holy See would participate in the International Finance Facility bond program. His Holiness recognizes the need to quickly provide the funds in order to respond to poverty, hunger, the lack of educational and literacy opportunities and the ongoing fight against the scourge of malaria and the spread of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis."

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CHURCH SUPPORTS PROMOTERS OF INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY

VATICAN CITY, NOV 7, 2006 (VIS) - Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States, delivered a talk at the Rome headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), during the 23rd session of the intergovernmental committee for Food Security, which was held from October 30 to November 4.

In the course of this meeting, on October 30 and 31, the Special Forum for a World Free of Hunger took place to study the progress made in achieving the goals of the 1996 World Food Summit.

Archbishop Mamberti, having communicated the Pope's greetings to participants, and his interest in their activities, said: "Beating hunger in the world is a task that needs time to achieve. ... Despite the efforts of the FAO, ... of intergovernmental organizations and of various other associations, we note a persistence, even an increase in the impediments and imbalances that prevent millions of men and women from obtaining adequate nourishment."

"The plight of the multitudes whose right to life is in danger must continue to concern us and touch our consciences so that our behavior, wherever we may be, does not contribute to aggravating the inequalities between rich countries and poor ones. Hunger and malnutrition are unacceptable in a world that has levels of production, of resources and of know-how capable of putting an end to this scourge and its dramatic consequences."

"It is not the Church's vocation," the archbishop concluded, "to propose political, economic or technical solutions to meet the problems of society. However, in her mission to announce the Good News to all nations, she feels particularly close to those who live in conditions of poverty, suffering and malnutrition, and wishes to help them with the means at her disposal. She is always ready to support those who work to strengthen international solidarity and promote justice among people, especially those who live in direct contact with people undergoing harsh trials."

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IN MEMORIAM

VATICAN CITY, NOV 7, 2006 (VIS) - The following prelates died in recent weeks:

- Cardinal Mario Francesco Pompedda, prefect emeritus of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, on October 18 at the age of 77.

- Archbishop Teodoro Cardenal Fernandez, emeritus of Burgos, Spain, on October 17 at the age of 89.

- Bishop Jose Elias Chaves Junior C.M., prelate emeritus of Cameta, Brazil, on October 31, at the age of 80.

- Archbishop Cecil deSa, emeritus of Agra, India, October 27, at the age of 83.

- Bishop Henrique Ruth C.S.Sp., emeritus of Cruzeiro do Sul, Brazil, on October 23 at the age of 93.

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