VATICAN CITY, 30 JUL 2010 (VIS) - We remind our readers that the Vatican Information Service will remain closed during the entire month of August. Service will resume on Wednesday 1 September.
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Saturday, July 31, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
HOLY FATHER ATTENDS FILM SCREENING AT CASTELGANDOLFO
VATICAN CITY, 30 JUL 2010 (VIS) - Yesterday evening in the Swiss Hall of the Apostolic Palace at Castelgandolfo, Benedict XVI attended the screening of a film entitled "Five years of Pope Benedict XVI", directed by the German Michael Mandlik and produced by Bayerischer Rundfunk.
At the end of the film, the Pope expressed his thanks to everyone who had participated in the realisation of "this extraordinary spiritual journey", which recounts certain key moments in the life of the Holy Father and of the Church.
"Today too the Church - though as we know she suffers much - is nonetheless a joyful Church", he said, "not an aged Church", but "a young Church" where "the faith generates joy. ... In this film we have seen the richness of the Church's life, the multiplicity of cultures, charisms and different gifts that live in the Church; and we have seen how the one Church continues to live in this multiplicity and great diversity".
"Personally I found it very moving to see certain moments, especially the moment in which the Lord placed the Petrine service on my shoulders, a burden no-one can bear with his own strength alone, but is able to carry only because the Lord carries us and carries me". The Pope also noted how the film shows that Petrine service involves the duty "to express the unity of this historical diversity, and make it visible, concrete".
BXVI-FILM/ VIS 20100730 (250)
At the end of the film, the Pope expressed his thanks to everyone who had participated in the realisation of "this extraordinary spiritual journey", which recounts certain key moments in the life of the Holy Father and of the Church.
"Today too the Church - though as we know she suffers much - is nonetheless a joyful Church", he said, "not an aged Church", but "a young Church" where "the faith generates joy. ... In this film we have seen the richness of the Church's life, the multiplicity of cultures, charisms and different gifts that live in the Church; and we have seen how the one Church continues to live in this multiplicity and great diversity".
"Personally I found it very moving to see certain moments, especially the moment in which the Lord placed the Petrine service on my shoulders, a burden no-one can bear with his own strength alone, but is able to carry only because the Lord carries us and carries me". The Pope also noted how the film shows that Petrine service involves the duty "to express the unity of this historical diversity, and make it visible, concrete".
BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR AUGUST
VATICAN CITY, 30 JUL 2010 (VIS) - Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for August is: "That those who are without work or homes or who are otherwise in serious need may find understanding and welcome, as well as concrete help in overcoming their difficulties".
His mission intention is: "That the Church may be a 'home' for all people, ready to open her doors to any who are suffering from racial or religious discrimination, hunger or wars forcing them to emigrate to other countries".
BXVI-PRAYER INTENTIONS/ VIS 20100730 (90)
His mission intention is: "That the Church may be a 'home' for all people, ready to open her doors to any who are suffering from racial or religious discrimination, hunger or wars forcing them to emigrate to other countries".
BXVI-PRAYER INTENTIONS/ VIS 20100730 (90)
PAPAL, HOLY SEE HIGHLIGHTS FOR APRIL - JULY 2010
VATICAN CITY, 30 JUL 2010 (VIS) - Following are highlights of the activities of Pope Benedict XVI and of the Holy See for the months of April to July 2010.
APRIL
9: The Vatican Information Service (VIS), apart from its daily news bulletin, acquires its own blog which includes news items from the last few years in Spanish, English, French and Italian. The blog also allows access to the Vatican's Twitter account and YouTube portal. The website is: www.visnews.org.
12: The Vatican website, under the section "Focus", publishes a guide to understanding the procedures of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on sexual abuse allegations towards minors.
15: Holy Father receives in audience prelates from the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (Northern Region II), at the end of their "ad limina" visit.
15: Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals, presides at Mass for Polish President Lech Kaczynski and other victims of the air accident that occurred on 10 April in Smolensk, Russia.
16: Czech Cardinal Tomas Spidlik S.J. dies at the age of 90.
17-18: Benedict XVI makes an apostolic trip to Malta.
18: Beatification of Servant of God Bernardo Francisco de Hoyos, priest of the order of the Society of Jesus, at the cathedral of Valladolid, Spain.
19: Fifth anniversary of Benedict XVI's election as Pope. On 19 April 2005 Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, succeeding Pope John Paul II, became the 264th successor of St. Peter.
24: Holy Father receives the Letters of Credence of Charles Ghislain, the new ambassador of Belgium to the Holy See.
25: Beatification of Servant of God Angelo Paoli, priest of the order of Carmelites of the Strict Observance, at the papal basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome.
25: Beatification of Servant of God Jose Tous y Soler, priest of the order of Capuchin Friars Minor and founder of the Institute of the Capuchin sisters of the Mother of the Divine Shepherd, at the basilica of Santa Maria del Mar in Barcelona, Spain.
25: Good Shepherd Sunday and the World Day of Prayer for Vocations.
29: Holy Father receives the Letters of Credence of Jean-Pierre Hamuli Mupenda, the new ambassador to the Holy See of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
29: Holy Father receives in audience prelates from Gambia, Liberia and Sierra Leone, at the end of their "ad limina" visit.
30: Cardinal Paul Augustin Mayer O.S.B., president emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, dies at the age of 98.
MAY
2: Holy Father makes a pastoral visit to the Italian city of Turin, for the exposition of the Holy Shroud.
4: Cardinal Luigi Poggi, archivist and librarian emeritus of Holy Roman Church, dies at the age of 92.
6: The Pope receives in audience Doris Leuthard, president of the Swiss Confederation.
6: The Pope receives in audience His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, emir of Kuwait.
7: The Pope receives in audience Mikheil Saakashvili, president of Georgia.
8: Holy Father receives in audience prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Belgium, at the end of their "ad limina" visit.
10: Announcement that the definitive text of the second volume of the book 'Jesus of Nazareth' by His Holiness Benedict XVI was recently consigned to the publishers. The second volume is dedicated to the Passion and the Resurrection, and starts where the first volume finished.
11-14: Benedict XVI makes an apostolic trip to Portugal.
17: The Pope receives in audience Evo Morales Ayma, president of the Plurinational State of Bolivia.
20: Holy Father receives the Letters of Credence of Hissa Abdulla Ahmed Al-Otaiba, the first ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Holy See.
20: Holy Father receives the Letters of Credence of Luvsantseren Orgil, the new ambassador of Mongolia to the Holy See.
20: The Pope receives in audience Feleti Vaka'uta Sevele, prime minister of Tonga.
21: The Pope receives in audience Leonel Antonio Fernandez Reyna, president of the Dominican Republic.
22: Beatification of Servant of God Teresa Manganiello, virgin and Franciscan tertiary, at the basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Benevento, Italy.
24: The Pope receives in audience Denis Sassou N'guesso, president of the Republic of Congo.
24: The Pope receives in audience Mihai Ghimpu, speaker of parliament and acting president of the Republic of Moldova.
28: Holy Father receives the Letters of Credence of Theodore Loko, the first resident ambassador of Benin to the Holy See.
30: Beatification of Servant of God Maria Pierina De Micheli, virgin and sister of the Daughters of the Immaculate Conception in Buenos Aires, at the papal basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome.
JUNE
4-6: Benedict XVI makes an apostolic trip to Cyprus.
6: Beatification of Servant of God Jerzy Popieluszko, priest and martyr, at Marshal J. Pilsudski Square in Warsaw, Poland.
9-11: International meeting of clergy to mark the end of the Year for Priests, called by Benedict XVI for the 150th anniversary of the death of the holy "Cure of Ars".
10: The Pope receives in audience Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, prime minister of Spain.
12: Beatification of Servant of God Manuel Lozano Garrido, layman, in Linares, Spain.
13: Beatification of Servant of God Lojze Grozde, Slovenian layman and martyr, in Celje, Slovenia.
19: Holy Father receives in audience prelates from the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (Eastern Region II), at the end of their "ad limina" visit.
27: Beatification of Servant of God Stephen Nehme (ne Joseph), Lebanese professed religious of the Order of Maronites, in Kfifan, Lebanon.
28: The Pope creates a new organisation, in the form of a Pontifical Council, with the fundamental task of promoting renewed evangelisation in countries undergoing a progressive secularisation of society.
30: Publication of the Message for World Tourism Day by the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples. The Day, which is due to be celebrated on 27 December, has as its theme: "Tourism and Biodiversity".
JULY
2: Holy Father receives the Letters of Credence of Habbeb Mohammed Hadi Ali Al-Sadr, the new ambassador of Iraq to the Holy See.
4: The Pope makes a pastoral visit to the town of Sulmona, in the Italian region of Abruzzo.
7: Benedict XVI moves to his summer residence at Castelgandolfo for a period of rest.
13: Announcement of the theme chosen by Pope Benedict XVI for the 2011 World Day of Peace: "Religious freedom, the path to peace".
15: The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith publishes its new "Norms concerning the most serious crimes".
22: Publication of "The Friends of Jesus", a new book for children by Benedict XVI in which he recounts the story of the twelve Apostles and St. Paul.
.../ VIS 20100730 (1130)
APRIL
9: The Vatican Information Service (VIS), apart from its daily news bulletin, acquires its own blog which includes news items from the last few years in Spanish, English, French and Italian. The blog also allows access to the Vatican's Twitter account and YouTube portal. The website is: www.visnews.org.
12: The Vatican website, under the section "Focus", publishes a guide to understanding the procedures of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on sexual abuse allegations towards minors.
15: Holy Father receives in audience prelates from the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (Northern Region II), at the end of their "ad limina" visit.
15: Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals, presides at Mass for Polish President Lech Kaczynski and other victims of the air accident that occurred on 10 April in Smolensk, Russia.
16: Czech Cardinal Tomas Spidlik S.J. dies at the age of 90.
17-18: Benedict XVI makes an apostolic trip to Malta.
18: Beatification of Servant of God Bernardo Francisco de Hoyos, priest of the order of the Society of Jesus, at the cathedral of Valladolid, Spain.
19: Fifth anniversary of Benedict XVI's election as Pope. On 19 April 2005 Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, succeeding Pope John Paul II, became the 264th successor of St. Peter.
24: Holy Father receives the Letters of Credence of Charles Ghislain, the new ambassador of Belgium to the Holy See.
25: Beatification of Servant of God Angelo Paoli, priest of the order of Carmelites of the Strict Observance, at the papal basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome.
25: Beatification of Servant of God Jose Tous y Soler, priest of the order of Capuchin Friars Minor and founder of the Institute of the Capuchin sisters of the Mother of the Divine Shepherd, at the basilica of Santa Maria del Mar in Barcelona, Spain.
25: Good Shepherd Sunday and the World Day of Prayer for Vocations.
29: Holy Father receives the Letters of Credence of Jean-Pierre Hamuli Mupenda, the new ambassador to the Holy See of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
29: Holy Father receives in audience prelates from Gambia, Liberia and Sierra Leone, at the end of their "ad limina" visit.
30: Cardinal Paul Augustin Mayer O.S.B., president emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, dies at the age of 98.
MAY
2: Holy Father makes a pastoral visit to the Italian city of Turin, for the exposition of the Holy Shroud.
4: Cardinal Luigi Poggi, archivist and librarian emeritus of Holy Roman Church, dies at the age of 92.
6: The Pope receives in audience Doris Leuthard, president of the Swiss Confederation.
6: The Pope receives in audience His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, emir of Kuwait.
7: The Pope receives in audience Mikheil Saakashvili, president of Georgia.
8: Holy Father receives in audience prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Belgium, at the end of their "ad limina" visit.
10: Announcement that the definitive text of the second volume of the book 'Jesus of Nazareth' by His Holiness Benedict XVI was recently consigned to the publishers. The second volume is dedicated to the Passion and the Resurrection, and starts where the first volume finished.
11-14: Benedict XVI makes an apostolic trip to Portugal.
17: The Pope receives in audience Evo Morales Ayma, president of the Plurinational State of Bolivia.
20: Holy Father receives the Letters of Credence of Hissa Abdulla Ahmed Al-Otaiba, the first ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Holy See.
20: Holy Father receives the Letters of Credence of Luvsantseren Orgil, the new ambassador of Mongolia to the Holy See.
20: The Pope receives in audience Feleti Vaka'uta Sevele, prime minister of Tonga.
21: The Pope receives in audience Leonel Antonio Fernandez Reyna, president of the Dominican Republic.
22: Beatification of Servant of God Teresa Manganiello, virgin and Franciscan tertiary, at the basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Benevento, Italy.
24: The Pope receives in audience Denis Sassou N'guesso, president of the Republic of Congo.
24: The Pope receives in audience Mihai Ghimpu, speaker of parliament and acting president of the Republic of Moldova.
28: Holy Father receives the Letters of Credence of Theodore Loko, the first resident ambassador of Benin to the Holy See.
30: Beatification of Servant of God Maria Pierina De Micheli, virgin and sister of the Daughters of the Immaculate Conception in Buenos Aires, at the papal basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome.
JUNE
4-6: Benedict XVI makes an apostolic trip to Cyprus.
6: Beatification of Servant of God Jerzy Popieluszko, priest and martyr, at Marshal J. Pilsudski Square in Warsaw, Poland.
9-11: International meeting of clergy to mark the end of the Year for Priests, called by Benedict XVI for the 150th anniversary of the death of the holy "Cure of Ars".
10: The Pope receives in audience Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, prime minister of Spain.
12: Beatification of Servant of God Manuel Lozano Garrido, layman, in Linares, Spain.
13: Beatification of Servant of God Lojze Grozde, Slovenian layman and martyr, in Celje, Slovenia.
19: Holy Father receives in audience prelates from the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (Eastern Region II), at the end of their "ad limina" visit.
27: Beatification of Servant of God Stephen Nehme (ne Joseph), Lebanese professed religious of the Order of Maronites, in Kfifan, Lebanon.
28: The Pope creates a new organisation, in the form of a Pontifical Council, with the fundamental task of promoting renewed evangelisation in countries undergoing a progressive secularisation of society.
30: Publication of the Message for World Tourism Day by the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples. The Day, which is due to be celebrated on 27 December, has as its theme: "Tourism and Biodiversity".
JULY
2: Holy Father receives the Letters of Credence of Habbeb Mohammed Hadi Ali Al-Sadr, the new ambassador of Iraq to the Holy See.
4: The Pope makes a pastoral visit to the town of Sulmona, in the Italian region of Abruzzo.
7: Benedict XVI moves to his summer residence at Castelgandolfo for a period of rest.
13: Announcement of the theme chosen by Pope Benedict XVI for the 2011 World Day of Peace: "Religious freedom, the path to peace".
15: The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith publishes its new "Norms concerning the most serious crimes".
22: Publication of "The Friends of Jesus", a new book for children by Benedict XVI in which he recounts the story of the twelve Apostles and St. Paul.
.../ VIS 20100730 (1130)
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
VATICAN CITY, 30 JUL 2010 (VIS) - The Holy Father accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary of the archdiocese of Mexico, Mexico presented by Bishop Felipe Tejeda Garcia M.Sp.S., upon having reached the age limit.
RE/ VIS 20100730 (40)
RE/ VIS 20100730 (40)
Thursday, July 29, 2010
LETTER FROM CARDINAL DIAS TO CHINESE BISHOPS AND PRIESTS
VATICAN CITY, 29 JUL 2010 (VIS) - Fides, the news agency of the Pontifical Missionary Works, today published a Letter to the Catholic Bishops and Priests of mainland China. The letter bears the signatures of Cardinal Ivan Dias and Archbishop Robert Sarah, respectively prefect and secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples.
"Inspired by celebrations during the Year for Priests, recently concluded, I send to you cordial and brotherly greetings and a word of encouragement for your arduous pastoral duties as shepherds of the flock entrusted to you by the Lord in your noble nation", reads the English-language version of the text. "Your testimony and your messages received here at the missionary congregation fill us with consolation and spur us to pray fervently that the Lord may render you ever stronger in the faith and sustain your activity to propagate the Good News of Jesus Christ in your beloved country".
"Precisely because the priest is 'Alter Christus' - indeed, 'Ipse Christus' - he must be a Man of God and a Man for others. ... Firstly, a Man of God: that is, a man who leads men and women to God and carries God to men and women. Therefore he must distinguish himself as a man of prayer and an austere style of life, profoundly in love with Christ and, like John the Baptist, proud to proclaim His presence amongst us, especially in the Most Holy Eucharist.
"Secondly a priest must be a Man for others: a man entirely dedicated to the faithful, youth and adults entrusted to his pastoral care and to all those with whom the Lord Jesus chose to identify Himself or those towards whom He showed special kindness. ... An ecclesiastic will therefore resist any temptation to enrich himself with material goods or seek favours for his family or ethnic group, or nurture unwholesome ambitions of making a career for himself in society or in politics. These things are entirely foreign to the priestly vocation and would be a serious distraction from his mission".
The text goes on to refer to "the important role of a bishop or priest as an operator of unity within the Church", noting how "this task has a twofold dimension" entailing "communion with the Pope, the 'rock' upon which Jesus chose to build His Church, and union with all the members of the Church.
"Firstly: communion with the Holy Father. We are all too aware of how some of you suffered in the recent past because of loyalty to the Holy See. We pay homage to each and all. ... The exemplary and courageous loyalty towards the See of Peter demonstrated by Catholics in China, is a precious gift of the Lord.
"The other dimension of unity among Christians is union among individual members of the ecclesial community. This important challenge you are already tackling, as you seek to strengthen unity within the Church herself".
Quoting from the homily delivered by the Holy Father on 29 June, Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, the letter notes how the Church "is subjected to the greatest danger by that which pollutes the faith and Christian life of her members and communities, corroding the integrity of the Mystical Body, weakening her capacity for prophecy and witness, and marring the beauty of her face. ... One of the typical effects of the action of the Evil One is, precisely, the internal division of the ecclesial Community. ... The unity of the Church is rooted in her union with Christ and the cause of full Christian unity - that must ever be sought and renewed from generation to generation - is also sustained by His prayer and His promise".
The letter concludes: "Let us praise the Lord for your efforts, accomplished and ongoing, for unity within the Church, in faithful response to the indications given by the Holy Father in the Letter he addressed to you on 27 May 2007, and for the results already obtained. May God bless your initiatives so that unity of ministers among themselves and between them and their flock may be ever stronger in Christ and in His Church 'ad maiorem Dei gloriam'".
Cardinal Dias also gives assurances "of the closeness of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI; with paternal affection he blesses you and all those entrusted to your pastoral care and urges you to continue without fear on the path of holiness, unity and communion, as did the generations which have gone before you".
CEP/ VIS 20100729 (760)
"Inspired by celebrations during the Year for Priests, recently concluded, I send to you cordial and brotherly greetings and a word of encouragement for your arduous pastoral duties as shepherds of the flock entrusted to you by the Lord in your noble nation", reads the English-language version of the text. "Your testimony and your messages received here at the missionary congregation fill us with consolation and spur us to pray fervently that the Lord may render you ever stronger in the faith and sustain your activity to propagate the Good News of Jesus Christ in your beloved country".
"Precisely because the priest is 'Alter Christus' - indeed, 'Ipse Christus' - he must be a Man of God and a Man for others. ... Firstly, a Man of God: that is, a man who leads men and women to God and carries God to men and women. Therefore he must distinguish himself as a man of prayer and an austere style of life, profoundly in love with Christ and, like John the Baptist, proud to proclaim His presence amongst us, especially in the Most Holy Eucharist.
"Secondly a priest must be a Man for others: a man entirely dedicated to the faithful, youth and adults entrusted to his pastoral care and to all those with whom the Lord Jesus chose to identify Himself or those towards whom He showed special kindness. ... An ecclesiastic will therefore resist any temptation to enrich himself with material goods or seek favours for his family or ethnic group, or nurture unwholesome ambitions of making a career for himself in society or in politics. These things are entirely foreign to the priestly vocation and would be a serious distraction from his mission".
The text goes on to refer to "the important role of a bishop or priest as an operator of unity within the Church", noting how "this task has a twofold dimension" entailing "communion with the Pope, the 'rock' upon which Jesus chose to build His Church, and union with all the members of the Church.
"Firstly: communion with the Holy Father. We are all too aware of how some of you suffered in the recent past because of loyalty to the Holy See. We pay homage to each and all. ... The exemplary and courageous loyalty towards the See of Peter demonstrated by Catholics in China, is a precious gift of the Lord.
"The other dimension of unity among Christians is union among individual members of the ecclesial community. This important challenge you are already tackling, as you seek to strengthen unity within the Church herself".
Quoting from the homily delivered by the Holy Father on 29 June, Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, the letter notes how the Church "is subjected to the greatest danger by that which pollutes the faith and Christian life of her members and communities, corroding the integrity of the Mystical Body, weakening her capacity for prophecy and witness, and marring the beauty of her face. ... One of the typical effects of the action of the Evil One is, precisely, the internal division of the ecclesial Community. ... The unity of the Church is rooted in her union with Christ and the cause of full Christian unity - that must ever be sought and renewed from generation to generation - is also sustained by His prayer and His promise".
The letter concludes: "Let us praise the Lord for your efforts, accomplished and ongoing, for unity within the Church, in faithful response to the indications given by the Holy Father in the Letter he addressed to you on 27 May 2007, and for the results already obtained. May God bless your initiatives so that unity of ministers among themselves and between them and their flock may be ever stronger in Christ and in His Church 'ad maiorem Dei gloriam'".
Cardinal Dias also gives assurances "of the closeness of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI; with paternal affection he blesses you and all those entrusted to your pastoral care and urges you to continue without fear on the path of holiness, unity and communion, as did the generations which have gone before you".
PAPAL, HOLY SEE HIGHLIGHTS FOR JANUARY - MARCH 2010
VATICAN CITY, 29 JUL 2010 (VIS) - Following are highlights of the activities of Pope Benedict XVI and of the Holy See for the months of January to March 2010. Another summary, covering the period from April to July, will be published tomorrow.
JANUARY
1: Benedict XVI presides at a Eucharistic celebration for the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God, and for the forty-third World Day of Peace which has as its theme this year: "If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation".
7: Holy Father receives the Letters of Credence of Kenan Gursoy, the new ambassador of Turkey to the Holy See.
9: Cardinal Armand Gaetan Razafindratandra, archbishop emeritus of Antananarivo, Madagascar, dies at the age of 84.
17: Benedict XVI visits the synagogue of Rome.
19: Presentation of the "Lineamenta" of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops. The synodal meeting is due to be held in the Vatican from 10 to 24 October on the theme: "The Catholic Church in the Middle East. Communion and Witness. Now the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul".
21: Appointment of Flaminia Giovanelli as under secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.
22: Publication of a Letter from the Holy Father, dated 15 January, in which he reiterates his confidence in Cardinal Tariciso Bertone S.D.B. as secretary of State. On 2 December 2009 Cardinal Bertone reached the age of 75 and presented his resignation from office, in accordance with the norms of Canon Law.
23: Beatification of Servant of God Josep Samso i Elias, priest and martyr, at the parochial basilica of Santa Maria en Mataro in the archdiocese of Barcelona, Spain.
23: Presentation of the Holy Father's Message for the forty-fourth World Day of Social Communications, on the theme: "The priest and pastoral ministry in a digital world: new media at the service of the Word".
FEBRUARY
1: Holy Father receives in audience prelates from the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales at the end of their "ad limina" visit.
4: Publication of Benedict XVI's Message for Lent 2010. The text, dated 30 October 2009, has as its title a passage from St. Paul's Letter to the Romans: "The justice of God has been manifested through faith in Jesus Christ".
5: Holy Father receives in audience prelates from the Bishops' Conference of Scotland at the end of their "ad limina" visit.
6: Holy Father receives the Letters of Credence of Alfonso Roberto Matta Fahsen, the new ambassador of Guatemala to the Holy See.
9-11: Celebrations marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Pontifical Council for Healthcare Workers, and the eighteenth World Day of the Sick, on the them: "The Church at the loving service of those who suffer".
12: Holy Father receives in audience prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Romania at the end of their "ad limina" visit.
14: Benedict XVI visits a shelter run by Roman diocesan Caritas at the city's main railway station, Termini.
15: Holy Father meets with prelates of the Irish Episcopal Conference.
16: Publication of the Pope's message for the forty-seventh World Day of Prayer for Vocations (to be celebrated on 25 April, the Fourth Sunday of Easter) on the theme: "Witness Awakens Vocations".
19: Holy Father presides at an ordinary public consistory for the canonisation of the following Blesseds: Stanislao Soltys, called Kazimierczyk (1433-1489); Andre Bessette, ne Alfred (1845-1937); Candida Maria de Jesus Cipitria y Barriola, nee Juana Josefa (1845-1912); Mary of the Cross MacKillop, nee Mary Helen (1842-1909); Giulia Salzano (1846-1929); Battista da Varano, nee Camilla (1458-1524). The canonisation ceremony will take place on 17 October.
20: The Pope receives in audience Saad Hariri, prime minister of Lebanon.
MARCH
5: Holy Father receives in audience prelates from the Uganda Episcopal Conference at the end of their "ad limina" visit.
7: Benedict XVI visits the parish of St. John of the Cross in the northern sector of the diocese of Rome, where he celebrates Mass at 9.30 a.m.
13: The Pope receives in audience Jadranka Kosor, prime minister of the Republic of Croatia.
13: Holy Father receives in audience prelates from the Sudan Catholic Bishops' Conference at the end of their "ad limina" visit.
14: Benedict XVI visits the Evangelical-Lutheran community of Rome at the "Christuskirche" in the city's Via Sicilia.
16: Publication of the Message of the Holy Father for twenty-fifth World Youth Day, celebrated this year at a diocesan level on Palm Sunday 28 March, with the theme: "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
20: Publication of Pope's Pastoral Letter to the Catholics of Ireland.
20: Holy Father receives in audience prelates from the Conference of Bishops of Burkina Faso and Niger at the end of their "ad limina" visit.
25: Holy Father receives in audience prelates from the Scandinavian Episcopal Conference at the end of their "ad limina" visit.
25: The official acts of the Holy See and of the collection of documents from the period of World War II become available online on the Vatican website.
26: Publication of Pope's Message for the eighty-fourth World Mission Day, on the theme: "Building Ecclesial Communion is the Key to the Mission".
26: The Pope receives in audience Alvaro Colom Caballeros, president of the Republic of Guatemala.
29: Benedict XVI presides at Mass in the Vatican Basilica to mark the fifth anniversary of the death of his predecessor, Venerable Servant of God John Paul II, who passed away on 2 April 2005.
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JANUARY
1: Benedict XVI presides at a Eucharistic celebration for the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God, and for the forty-third World Day of Peace which has as its theme this year: "If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation".
7: Holy Father receives the Letters of Credence of Kenan Gursoy, the new ambassador of Turkey to the Holy See.
9: Cardinal Armand Gaetan Razafindratandra, archbishop emeritus of Antananarivo, Madagascar, dies at the age of 84.
17: Benedict XVI visits the synagogue of Rome.
19: Presentation of the "Lineamenta" of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops. The synodal meeting is due to be held in the Vatican from 10 to 24 October on the theme: "The Catholic Church in the Middle East. Communion and Witness. Now the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul".
21: Appointment of Flaminia Giovanelli as under secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.
22: Publication of a Letter from the Holy Father, dated 15 January, in which he reiterates his confidence in Cardinal Tariciso Bertone S.D.B. as secretary of State. On 2 December 2009 Cardinal Bertone reached the age of 75 and presented his resignation from office, in accordance with the norms of Canon Law.
23: Beatification of Servant of God Josep Samso i Elias, priest and martyr, at the parochial basilica of Santa Maria en Mataro in the archdiocese of Barcelona, Spain.
23: Presentation of the Holy Father's Message for the forty-fourth World Day of Social Communications, on the theme: "The priest and pastoral ministry in a digital world: new media at the service of the Word".
FEBRUARY
1: Holy Father receives in audience prelates from the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales at the end of their "ad limina" visit.
4: Publication of Benedict XVI's Message for Lent 2010. The text, dated 30 October 2009, has as its title a passage from St. Paul's Letter to the Romans: "The justice of God has been manifested through faith in Jesus Christ".
5: Holy Father receives in audience prelates from the Bishops' Conference of Scotland at the end of their "ad limina" visit.
6: Holy Father receives the Letters of Credence of Alfonso Roberto Matta Fahsen, the new ambassador of Guatemala to the Holy See.
9-11: Celebrations marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Pontifical Council for Healthcare Workers, and the eighteenth World Day of the Sick, on the them: "The Church at the loving service of those who suffer".
12: Holy Father receives in audience prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Romania at the end of their "ad limina" visit.
14: Benedict XVI visits a shelter run by Roman diocesan Caritas at the city's main railway station, Termini.
15: Holy Father meets with prelates of the Irish Episcopal Conference.
16: Publication of the Pope's message for the forty-seventh World Day of Prayer for Vocations (to be celebrated on 25 April, the Fourth Sunday of Easter) on the theme: "Witness Awakens Vocations".
19: Holy Father presides at an ordinary public consistory for the canonisation of the following Blesseds: Stanislao Soltys, called Kazimierczyk (1433-1489); Andre Bessette, ne Alfred (1845-1937); Candida Maria de Jesus Cipitria y Barriola, nee Juana Josefa (1845-1912); Mary of the Cross MacKillop, nee Mary Helen (1842-1909); Giulia Salzano (1846-1929); Battista da Varano, nee Camilla (1458-1524). The canonisation ceremony will take place on 17 October.
20: The Pope receives in audience Saad Hariri, prime minister of Lebanon.
MARCH
5: Holy Father receives in audience prelates from the Uganda Episcopal Conference at the end of their "ad limina" visit.
7: Benedict XVI visits the parish of St. John of the Cross in the northern sector of the diocese of Rome, where he celebrates Mass at 9.30 a.m.
13: The Pope receives in audience Jadranka Kosor, prime minister of the Republic of Croatia.
13: Holy Father receives in audience prelates from the Sudan Catholic Bishops' Conference at the end of their "ad limina" visit.
14: Benedict XVI visits the Evangelical-Lutheran community of Rome at the "Christuskirche" in the city's Via Sicilia.
16: Publication of the Message of the Holy Father for twenty-fifth World Youth Day, celebrated this year at a diocesan level on Palm Sunday 28 March, with the theme: "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
20: Publication of Pope's Pastoral Letter to the Catholics of Ireland.
20: Holy Father receives in audience prelates from the Conference of Bishops of Burkina Faso and Niger at the end of their "ad limina" visit.
25: Holy Father receives in audience prelates from the Scandinavian Episcopal Conference at the end of their "ad limina" visit.
25: The official acts of the Holy See and of the collection of documents from the period of World War II become available online on the Vatican website.
26: Publication of Pope's Message for the eighty-fourth World Mission Day, on the theme: "Building Ecclesial Communion is the Key to the Mission".
26: The Pope receives in audience Alvaro Colom Caballeros, president of the Republic of Guatemala.
29: Benedict XVI presides at Mass in the Vatican Basilica to mark the fifth anniversary of the death of his predecessor, Venerable Servant of God John Paul II, who passed away on 2 April 2005.
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Wednesday, July 28, 2010
PLENARY OF EPISCOPAL CONFERENCES OF AFRICA, MADAGASCAR
VATICAN CITY, 28 JUL 2010 (VIS) - The plenary assembly of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) will be held in Accra, Ghana, from 27 July to 1 August. The event is due to be attended by 250 people including cardinals, bishops, priests, religious and lay faithful from Africa and other parts of the world.
SECAM, the president of which is Cardinal Polycarp Pengo, archbishop of Dal-es-Salaam, Tanzania, is celebrating its fortieth year of activity with a week of reflection on the theme: "Self-Reliance and the Way Forward for the Church in Africa". Within the context of plenary assembly, Archbishop Leon Kalenga Badikebele, apostolic nuncio to Ghana, will deliver a Message from Benedict XVI to the participants.
The plenary assembly, the highest administrative body in SECAM, meets every three years. This year's agenda includes a meeting of bishops on the central theme of the plenary and a round table discussion, as well as a renewal of their joint commitment to achieve the ideals of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar.
The national and regional episcopal conferences of Africa and other bodies affiliated to SECAM will present their evaluations on the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops, which was held in the Vatican last October on the theme: "The Church in Africa, at the Service of Reconciliation, Justice and Peace".
.../ VIS 20100728 (240)
SECAM, the president of which is Cardinal Polycarp Pengo, archbishop of Dal-es-Salaam, Tanzania, is celebrating its fortieth year of activity with a week of reflection on the theme: "Self-Reliance and the Way Forward for the Church in Africa". Within the context of plenary assembly, Archbishop Leon Kalenga Badikebele, apostolic nuncio to Ghana, will deliver a Message from Benedict XVI to the participants.
The plenary assembly, the highest administrative body in SECAM, meets every three years. This year's agenda includes a meeting of bishops on the central theme of the plenary and a round table discussion, as well as a renewal of their joint commitment to achieve the ideals of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar.
The national and regional episcopal conferences of Africa and other bodies affiliated to SECAM will present their evaluations on the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops, which was held in the Vatican last October on the theme: "The Church in Africa, at the Service of Reconciliation, Justice and Peace".
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
VATICAN CITY, 28 JUL 2010 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Archbishop Walmor Oliveira de Azevedo of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, to the additional role of ordinary for Catholic faithful of Eastern rite resident in Brazil who do not have their own ordinary. In his new role, Archbishop Oliveira de Azevedo replaces Cardinal Eusebio Oscar Scheid S.C.I., archbishop emeritus of Sao Sebastiao do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
NA/ VIS 20100728 (70)
NA/ VIS 20100728 (70)
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
VATICAN CITY, 27 JUL 2010 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Bishop Jacques Blaquart, auxiliary of Bordeaux, France, as bishop of Orleans (area 6,811, population 648,000, Catholics 445,000, priests 168, permanent deacons 40, religious 238), France. He succeeds Bishop Andre Fort, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
NER:RE/ VIS 20100727 (70)
NER:RE/ VIS 20100727 (70)
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