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Skriven 2007-01-30 07:21:23 av Marc Lewis (1:396/45.0)
Ärende: Missing post from Monday 22 JAN 2006
============================================
* Original message posted in: VATICAN.
* Crossposted in: IN_CATHOLIC.
Hello All.

This is a copy from e-mail of a missing web page on the Vatican server:

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-CUT-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE

SEVENTEENTH YEAR - N. 15
ENGLISH
MONDAY, JANUARY 22, 2007

SUMMARY: JANUARY 20 - 22

- Letters of Credence of New Romanian Ambassador
- Great Challenges Facing the Church in Latin America
- Pope to Write a Letter to Chinese Catholics
- Ecumenism, a Profound Experience of Dialogue
- Montenegro and the Holy See: Centuries of Mutual Respect
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts

___________________________________________________________

LETTERS OF CREDENCE OF NEW ROMANIAN AMBASSADOR

VATICAN CITY, JAN 20, 2007 (VIS) - This morning, the Pope received
the Letters of Credence of Marius Gabriel Lazurca, the new Romanian
ambassador to the Holy See.

  Speaking to the diplomat in French, the Pope highlighted the Holy
See's satisfaction at Romania's recent entry into the European
Union. He dwelt on the "long Christian tradition" of the country and
voiced the hope that it will make "an original contribution to the
European edifice, helping it to be not just an economic force and a
market of consumer goods," but also giving it "a new political,
cultural and spiritual impulse, capable of building a prosperous
future for new generations."

  "For many years," Pope Benedict continued, "your country has been
making great efforts towards the renewal of society, with the aim of
healing the wounds of the past and enabling everyone to enjoy
fundamental freedoms and to benefit from social and economic
progress. ... It is just as important to ensure that everyone has
equal access to independent and transparent justice." In this
context, the Pope also called for "renewed attention to the poorest
families, to help them educate their children with dignity."

  The Pope expressed his satisfaction at "the progress made by the
government in its delicate handling of the return of property
confiscated from religious communities. ... I also hope," he went
on, "that the laws ruling religious freedom, which is a fundamental
freedom, be fully respected, especially as concerns the
Greek-Catholic Church."

  After giving assurances of the Catholic Church's readiness to meet
the authorities in order to study ways to overcome any difficulties,
the Holy Father made clear his "concern" over plans to build a
19-storey building next to the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Bucharest.
The archbishop of Bucharest has appealed to the State authorities,
said the Pope, "to conserve this historical patrimony and the values
of faith it represents, not only for the Catholic community but for
all the Romanian people."

  The Pope sent greetings, via the ambassador, to His Beatitude
Teoctist, patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, and voiced the
hope "that Catholic and Orthodox faithful continue to form ever more
fraternal relationships in their daily lives, and that dialogue
continues to progress at all levels. I particularly hope that the
European ecumenical meeting, due to be held at Sibiu, Romania in
September, will prove to be an important stage on our shared journey
towards unity."

  In closing, the Pope sent a special greeting to the Catholic
community in Romania, saying: "I know that the Catholic faithful
take an active part in the life of the country, especially in the
spiritual and social fields, and I heartily encourage them to bear
courageous witness to the irreplaceable position of the family in
society." CD/LETTERS OF CREDENCE/ROMANIA:LAZURCA  VIS 070122 (470)

GREAT CHALLENGES FACING THE CHURCH IN LATIN AMERICA

VATICAN CITY, JAN 20, 2007 (VIS) - Today in the Vatican, Benedict
XVI received the 50 participants in the plenary session of the
Pontifical Commission for Latin America which is presided by
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for
Bishops. The theme of the plenary is: "The Family and Christian
Education in Latin America."

  "The Church in Latin America," said the Holy Father, "is facing
enormous challenges: cultural changes generated by social
communications med
ia that influence the thoughts and habits of
millions of people; migration, that has so many repercussions on
family life and on religious practice in new environments; the
re-emergence of questions regarding how peoples must approach their
historical memories and their democratic future; globalization,
secularism, growing poverty and environmental degradation,
especially in big cities, as well as violence and drug trafficking."

  For these reasons, Latin America has urgent need "of a new
evangelization that stimulates us to enter more deeply into the
values of our faith, that they may become the vital sap that forms
the identity of those beloved peoples."

  "The men and women of South America have great thirst for God,"
the Pope affirmed. "When a feeling of being orphaned from God the
Father arises in the life of communities, the work of bishops,
priests and other pastoral care agents becomes vital. They, like
Christ, must bear witness that the Father is always provident Love,
revealed in His Son.

  "When faith is not nourished by prayer and the divine Word," he
added, "when sacramental life languishes, then sects and new
pseudo-religious groups prosper, causing many Catholics to move away
from the Church. As these people receive no answers to their deepest
aspirations - answers which could be found in a shared life of faith
- situations of spiritual emptiness are also created. ... For this
reason it is important to foster a sense of belonging to the Church,
where Christians can grow and mature in communion with their
fellows."

  "For the future of the Church in Latin America and the Caribbean
it is important that Christians adopt and intensify the lifestyle of
Jesus' disciples," announcing "Christ and His Gospel in all places.
... In a special way, the widespread phenomena of exploitation and
injustice, of corruption and violence, are an urgent call for
Christians to live their faith coherently and to strive to receive a
sound doctrinal and spiritual formation, thus contributing to the
construction of a more just, humane and Christian society."

  On this subject, the Pope recalled how Christian families are "the
main place for the experience and transmission of faith and virtue.
The legacy of the faith is safeguarded in the home," where family
members "learn the values" that will help them to live as children
of God.

  Benedict XVI concluded his address by calling upon the Virgin Mary
to guide the participants in the forthcoming fifth General
Conference of the Latin American Episcopate, that they may find "the
most appropriate ways to ensure their peoples have life in Christ,
and build, in the so-called 'continent of hope,' a future worthy of
all men and women." AC/PONTIFICAL COMMISSION PLENARY/RE   VIS 070122
(530)

POPE TO WRITE A LETTER TO CHINESE CATHOLICS

VATICAN CITY, JAN 20, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office today
released the following communique at the close of a meeting held in
the Vatican from January 19 to 20, on the situation of the Catholic
Church in China.

  "Pope Benedict XVI, in the desire to deepen his knowledge of the
situation of the Catholic Church in China, called a special meeting
which took place in the Vatican Apostolic Palace on January 19 and
20, 2007.

  "The meeting was presided by Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio
Bertone S.D.B., and attended by representatives of the Chinese
episcopate (Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) and by the people who, for
the Holy See, follow the Chinese question most closely. The
wide-ranging and intricate debate was characterized by a frank and
fraternal cordiality.

   "In the light of the troubled history of the Church in China and
of the principal events of recent years, consideration was given to
the most serious and urgent ecclesial problems. Problems which call
for adequate solutions based on the fundamental principles of the
Church's divine constitution and religious freedom. The inspiring
witness of the bishops, priests and lay faithful was recognized with
profound appreciation; without giving way to compromise they have
maintained their loyal
ty to the See of Peter, sometimes at the cost
of grave suffering. It was noted with particular joy that today
almost all of the bishops and priests are in communion with the
Supreme Pontiff.

  "There has, moreover, been a surprising numerical growth of the
ecclesial community which, in China as elsewhere, is called to bear
witness to Christ, to look ahead with hope and, in announcing the
Gospel, to measure itself against the new challenges that society is
facing.

  "From the multiplicity of the participants' contributions, what
emerged was the will to continue along the path of respectful and
constructive dialogue with the governing authorities, in order to
overcome the misunderstandings of the past. The hope was also
expressed that a normalization of relations at all levels could be
achieved so as to facilitate a peaceful and fruitful life of faith
in the Church, and to work together for the good of the Chinese
people and for peace in the world.

  "The Holy Father, who was fully informed of the proposals reached
in the course of the meeting, has benevolently decided to address a
Letter to Catholics in China." OP/CATHOLIC CHURCH CHINA/...    VIS
070122 (410)

ECUMENISM, A PROFOUND EXPERIENCE OF DIALOGUE

VATICAN CITY, JAN 21, 2007 (VIS) - Shortly before midday today,
Benedict XVI appeared at the window of his private study overlooking
St. Peter's Square in order to pray the Angelus with the pilgrims
gathered below.

  The Pope recalled the fact that the Week of Prayer for Christian
Unity is taking place from January 18 to 25, and that its theme this
year - "He even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak" - is
"taken from the Gospel of St. Mark and refers to the people's
amazement at Jesus' healing of the deaf man."

  "The original project for the Week," he continued, "was prepared
by faithful in Umlazi, South Africa, a poor city where AIDS has
assumed the proportions of a pandemic and where human hopes are very
few. But the Risen Christ brings hope to everyone, especially to
Christians. Heirs to the divisions of the past, they now wish to
launch this appeal: Christ can do anything, He "even makes the deaf
to hear and the mute to speak." In other words, He is capable of
infusing Christians with the ardent desire to listen to others, to
communicate with others and, with Him, to talk the language of
mutual love."

  "Ecumenism is a profound experience of dialogue, an act of
listening and talking to one another, ... a task that everyone can
undertake, especially as regards 'spiritual ecumenism' based on the
prayer and experiences that Christians are currently able to share."

  The Pope expressed the hope that "the desire for unity, translated
into prayer and fraternal collaboration to alleviate man's
suffering, may become ever more widespread." He also thanked all the
people who, "all over the world, pray and work for unity with
conviction and constancy."

  After praying the Angelus, Benedict XVI mentioned the Day of
Catholic Schools, which is being celebrated today in the diocese of
Rome, and he recalled how Catholic educational institutions serve
"the integral growth of the person: heart, mind and freedom."
ANG/UNITY:CATHOLIC SCHOOLS/...    VIS 070122 (340)

MONTENEGRO AND THE HOLY SEE: CENTURIES OF MUTUAL RESPECT

VATICAN CITY, JAN 22, 2007 (VIS) - Today in the Vatican, the Holy
Father received the Letters of Credence of Antun Sbutega, the first
ambassador of Montenegro to the Holy See.

  In his address, Benedict XVI sent his greetings, via the
ambassador, to all of Montenegrin society which, "in its ethnic
plurality, has wished to establish a direct and cordial dialogue
with the Holy See. ... Over the centuries," he went on, "the peoples
of the current Crna Gora have always maintained dynamic and cordial
relationships with neighboring peoples, making interesting
contributions to the life of European nations."

  The Pope went on to refer to Prince Nicholas of Montenegro, who in
1886 signed a convention that aimed to meet the spiritual needs of
Catholics in that country. "When the evangelical message of
salva
tion reached the lands of Montenegro," said the Holy Father,
"by embracing the eastern and western traditions together," the
country "came to be characterized as a privileged place for the
ecumenical encounter that everyone longs for. The meeting between
Christians and Muslims also took on compelling forms in Montenegro.

  "It is necessary," he added, "to continue this journey, on which
the Church hopes that everyone will make a joint commitment to unite
forces in the service of the inborn nobility of human beings. The
Church, in fact, sees this as a significant part of her mission, ...
while maintaining respect for the traditions that give a land its
identity."

  After voicing his conviction that, in Europe, Montenegro "will not
fail to give its active support in the civil, political, social,
cultural and religious spheres," the Pope identified one of the
country's priorities as "reinforcing the state of law in the various
sectors of public life" in order to promote "an increase in
citizens' trust in society," both "as individuals and as a
community."

  Turning to consider the position of Catholics in the country,
Benedict XVI noted that "the full recognition, dating to more than a
century ago, of the life and goals of the Catholic community in the
context of Montenegrin society has turned out to be useful to the
sovereignty of the State and ... to the specific mission of the
Church." He also recalled "the respectful attitude of the Orthodox
Church of the time, which did not oppose the agreement with the
Apostolic See," but considered it "a useful instrument for meeting
people's spiritual needs."

  The Pope concluded his address by reiterating his great esteem for
Montenegro and expressing hopes in the continuance of "fraternal
dialogue with the Orthodox, so present and active in the country,"
and of "millennia of mutual respect." CD/LETTERS OF
CREDENCE/MONTENEGRO:STUBEGA VIS 070122 (450)

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, JAN 22, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in
separate audiences:

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

    - Cardinal Carlo Caffarra, archbishop of Bologna, accompanied by
      Auxiliary Bishop Ernesto Vecchi.

    - Bishop Claudio Stagni of Faenza-Modigliana.

    - Archbishop Paolo Rabitti of Ferrara-Comacchio.

    - Bishop Tommaso Ghirelli of Imola.

 - Cardinal Paul Shan Kuo-hsi S.J., of Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

 - Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, archivist and librarian of Holy Roman
   Church, accompanied by an entourage, for the presentation of the
   Bodmer Papyrus.

  On Saturday, January 20, the Holy Father received in separate
  audiences:

 - Trappist Fathers of the Abbey of the Three Fountains in Rome for
   the occasion of the Feast of St. Agnes.

 - The presidents of the forthcoming fifth General Conference of the
   Latin American Episcopate: Cardinals Giovanni Battista Re, prefect
   of the Congregation for Bishops and president of the Pontifical
   Commission for Latin America; Francisco Javier Errazuriz Ossa,
   archbishop of Santiago de Chile, Chile, and president of the Latin
   American Episcopal Council (CELAM); and Geraldo Majella Agnelo,
   archbishop of Sao Salvador da Bahia, Brazil, and president of the
   National Conference of Bishops of Brazil.

 - Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
AL:AP/.../...        VIS 070122 (210)

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JAN 22, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Msgr.
Michael W. Banach, nunciature counsellor at the Secretariat of
State, as Holy See permanent representative to the International
Atomic Energy Agency (AIEA), to the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and to the Preparatory Commission for
the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), and
as Holy See permanent observer to the United Nations Organization
for Industrial Development (ONUDI), and to the Office of the United
Nations in Vienna, Austria.

  Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil, C.SS.R., major archbishop of the
Syro-Malabar Church, with the con
sent of the permanent synod and in
conformity with canon 210 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern
Churches, accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the
archieparchy of Changanacherry of the Syro-Malabars, India,
presented by Metropolitan Archbishop Joseph Powathil.

  Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil, C.SS.R., major archbishop of the
Syro-Malabar Church, with the consent of the synod of the
Syro-Malabar Church and in conformity with canon 85, para. 2.2 of
the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, transferred Bishop
Joseph Perumthottam, auxiliary of Changanacherry of the
Syro-Malabars, India, to the office of metropolitan archbishop of
the same archieparchy (area 24,595, population 9,300,000, Catholics
382,086, priests 555, religious 3,101). The archbishop-elect was
born in Punnathura, India in 1948, he was ordained a priest in 1974,
and consecrated a bishop in 2002.

  Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil, C.SS.R., major archbishop of the
Syro-Malabar Church, with the consent of the permanent synod and in
conformity with canon 210 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern
Churches, accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the
archieparchy of Trichur of the Syro-Malabars, India, presented by
Metropolitan Archbishop Jacob Thoomkuzhy.

  Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil, C.SS.R., major archbishop of the
Syro-Malabar Church, with the consent of the synod of the
Syro-Malabar Church and in conformity with canon 85, para. 2.2 of
the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, transferred Bishop
Andrews Thazhath, auxiliary of Trichur of the Syro-Malabars, India,
to the office of metropolitan archbishop of the same archieparchy
(area 2,000, population 2,611,548, Catholics 460,728, priests 394,
religious 3,172). The archbishop-elect was born in Pudukad, India in
1951, he was ordained a priest in 1977, and consecrated a bishop in
2004.

  On Saturday, January 20, it was made public that the Holy Father
appointed:

 - Fr. Angelus Kujur S.J., director of Chotparua retreat center at
Raiganj, as bishop of Purnea (area 15,733, population 8,349,215,
Catholics 24,923, priests 44, religious 69), India. The bishop-elect
was born in Muldantoli, India in 1946 and ordained a priest in 1980.

 - Fr. Paulinus Chukwuemeka Ezeokafor, rector of the minor seminary
of the diocese of Awka, Nigeria, as auxiliary of the same diocese
(area 1,551, population 1,265,779, Catholics 623,874, priests 277,
religious 136). The bishop-elect was born in Nanka, Nigeria in 1952
and ordained a priest in 1984.

 - Archbishop Bruno Forte of Chieti-Vasto, Italy, as a member of the
Pontifical Council for Culture. NN:RE:NER:NEA:NA/.../...      VIS
070122 (500)

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-CUT-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Best regards,
Marc

--- timEd/2 1.10.y2k+
 * Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS-Meridian, MS-bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)