EUCHARISTIC CONGRESSES CONTRIBUTE TO NEW EVANGELISATION VATICAN CITY, 11 NOV 2010 (VIS REPORT) - Today in the Vatican, Benedict XVI received participants in the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses, who have completed preparations for the next congress, which will take place in the Irish capital Dublin in 2012. "International Eucharistic Congresses already have a long history in the Church", the Holy Father noted. "They highlight the universal dimension of celebration. Celebration is, in fact, always a feast of faith around the Eucharistic Christ, the Christ of the supreme sacrifice for humanity, in which not only the faithful from a particular Church or nation participate, but, insofar as possible, from all over the world. It is the Church that gathers around her Lord and God". "The task of Eucharistic Congresses, especially at the current time, is also that of making a special contribution to new evangelisation, promoting mystagogical evangelisation which is accomplished in the school of the prayerful Church, on the basis of the liturgy and through the liturgy. But each Congress also contains a new evangelising impulse in a more strictly missionary sense, so much so that the binomial term 'Eucharist-mission' has become part of the guidelines suggested by the Holy See". The Holy Father completed his remarks with some liturgical-pastoral advice. "It is important", he said, "that each Eucharistic Congress should, in accordance with the reforming spirit of the Council, involve and integrate both 'extra missam' expressions of Eucharistic worship which have their roots in popular devotion, and associations of faithful which, in various ways, draw inspiration form the Eucharist. All forms of Eucharistic devotion, also recommended and encouraged by the Encyclical 'Ecclesia de Eucharistia' and the Post-Synodal Exhortation 'Sacramentum caritatis', must be harmoniously brought together in a Eucharistic ecclesiology oriented towards communion".AC/ VIS 20101111 (300) IMAGE SOURCE: RADIO VATICANA
APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION "VERBUM DOMINI" VATICAN CITY, 11 NOV 2010 (VIS) - At midday today in the Holy See Press Office, the presentation took place of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation "Verbum Domini" of Benedict XVI, on the Word of God in the life and mission of the Church. Today's press conference was presented by Cardinal Marc Ouellet P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops; Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, and Archbishop Nikola Eterovic and Msgr. Fortunato Frizza, respectively secretary general and under secretary of the Synod of Bishops. The Apostolic Exhortation, which is dated 30 September, Memorial of St. Jerome, is the fruit of the Twelfth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which was held in Rome from 5 to 26 October 2008. The document, which has been published in Latin, Italian, English, French., Spanish, German, Portuguese and Polish, is made up of an introduction, three parts and a conclusion. Archbishop Eterovic explained how in part one, entitled "Verbum Dei", the Pope highlights both "the fundamental role of God the Father, source and origin of the Word", and "the Trinitarian dimension of revelation". Chapter one - "The God Who Speaks" - underscores "God's will to open and maintain a dialogue with man, in which God takes the initiative and reveals Himself in various ways". It also dwells on "the Christological aspect of the Word, while at the same time underlining the pneumatological dimension". This section of the document also focuses on the relationship between the Eucharist and Tradition, and on the theme of the inspiration and truth of the Bible. "Our Response to the God Who Speaks" is the title of chapter two of part one. "Man is called to enter into the Alliance with his God, Who listens to him and responds to his questions. To God Who speaks, man responds with the faith. The most suitable prayer is that made using the words which were revealed by God and are conserved and written in the Bible", said Archbishop Eterovic. Chapter three has as its title "The Interpretation of Sacred Scripture in the Church". The secretary general of the Synod of Bishops explained how "Sacred Scripture should be, as the Dogmatic Constitution 'Dei Verbum' says, 'the soul of sacred theology'. ... The biblical hermeneutics of Vatican Council II must be rediscovered, also in order to avoid a certain dualism evident in secularised interpretations which could give rise to a fundamentalist and spiritualist interpretation of Holy Scripture. Correct interpretation requires complementarity in a literal and spiritual sense, a harmony between faith and reason". This chapter also examines relations between Christians and Jews, noting that they enjoy "a very special relationship ... because they share a large part of the Scriptures". Part two of the document is entitled "Verbum in Ecclesia". Chapter one - "The Word of God and the Church" - underlines how it is thanks to the Word of God and the effect of the Sacraments "that Jesus remains contemporary to mankind in the life of the Church", said the archbishop. "The Liturgy, Privileged Setting for the Word of God" is the title of chapter two, in which the focus turns to "the vital link between Sacred Scripture and the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist". The importance of the Lectionary is mentioned, as is that of the proclamation of the Word and the ministry of reader, with particular emphasis being laid on the preparation of the homily, a theme of great importance in this Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation. Chapter three of part two concerns "The Word of God in the Life of the Church" and highlights "the importance of biblical inspiration for pastoral activity, the biblical dimension of catechesis, the biblical formation of Christians, the use of Sacred Scripture in great ecclesial gahterings, and the Word of God in relation to vocations". Attention is also given to "lectio divina and Marian prayer", said the archbishop. Part three of the document published today has as its title "Verbum Mundo". It draws attention to "the duty of Christians to announce the Word of God in the world in which they live and work". Chapter one - "The Church's Mission to Proclaim the Word of God to the World" - explains how the Church "is oriented towards the announcement 'ad gentes', to people who do not yet know the Word, ... but also to those who have already been baptised ... but need new evangelisation in order to rediscover the Word of God". "The Word of God and Commitment to the World" is the title of chapter two, which recalls how "Christians are called to serve the Word of God in their most needy brothers and sisters and, hence, to commit themselves in society for reconciliation, justice and peace among peoples". Chapter three of part three is dedicated to "The Word of God and Culture". It expresses the hope "that the Bible may become better known in schools and universities and that better use may be made of the social communications media, exploiting all the modern possibilities of technology. The theme of the inculturation of Sacred Scripture is also linked to the translation and diffusion of the Bible, which must be increased", said Archbishop Eterovic. "The Word of God and Inter-religious Dialogue" is the title of chapter four. "Having established the value and topicality of inter-religious dialogue, 'Verbum Domini' ... supplies some important guidelines concerning dialogue between Christians and Muslims, and with members of other non-Christian religions, within the framework of a religious liberty which involves not only the freedom to profess one's faith in private and in public, but also freedom of conscience; in other words, of choosing one's religion". In the conclusion, Archbishop Eterovic concluded his explanations, the Holy Father reiterates his exhortation to all Christians "to become increasingly familiar with Sacred Scripture".EXOR/ VIS 20101111 (970)
VATICAN LIBRARY: HISTORICAL MEMORY OF UNIVERSAL CHURCH VATICAN CITY, 11 NOV 2010 (VIS) - The Holy Father has written a Letter to Cardinal Raffaele Farina S.D.B., archivist and librarian of Holy Roman Church, to mark the reopening of the Vatican Apostolic Library and the inauguration of an exhibition entitled: "Knowing the Vatican Library. A History Open to the Future". "Pre-eminent location of the universal Church's historical memory, home to venerable examples of the manuscript tradition of the Bible, the Vatican Library yet has another reason justifying the attention and concern of Popes. Since its origins it has always shown an unmistakeable openness, truly 'Catholic' and universal, to all the beauty and goodness ... which humankind has produced over the course of the centuries". "Nothing of what is truly human is foreign to the Church which, for this reason, has always sought, gathered and conserved - with a continuity that knows few equals - the finest results of man's efforts to raise himself above the purely material plane as he searches, either consciously or unconsciously, for the Truth". "The Vatican Library is not, then, a theological or prevalently religious library. Faithful to is humanistic origins it is, by vocation, open to all things human, and thus it is remains at the service of culture. ... Also through the efforts of this institution, the Church intends today - as she did five centuries ago - to serve all mankind, inscribing this particular ministry into the broader picture of the essential ministry that makes her Church: the community that evangelises and saves".MESS/ VIS 20101111 (260)
POPE WRITES TO KOREAN PRESIDENT FOR G20 MEETING VATICAN CITY, 11 NOV 2010 (VIS) - The Holy Father has sent a Message to Lee Myung-bak, president of The Republic of Korea, for the occasion of the meeting of heads of State and government of the world's most industrialised countries (G20), which begins today in Seoul. The meeting, writes the Pope in his English-language Letter, "is not only of global importance but also clearly expresses the significance and responsibility which Asia has acquired on the international scene at the beginning of the twenty-first century". "The Catholic Church, in accordance with her specific nature, regards herself as involved and shares the concerns of the leaders who will take part in the Seoul Summit. I therefore encourage you to tackle the numerous serious problems facing you - and which, in a sense, face every human person today - bearing in mind the deeper reasons for the economic and financial crisis and giving due consideration to the consequences of the measures adopted to overcome the crisis itself, and to seek lasting, sustainable and just solutions. "In doing so", the Holy Father adds, "it is my hope that there will be a keen awareness that the solutions adopted, as such, will work only if, in the final analysis, they are aimed at reaching the same goal: the authentic and integral development of man. The world's attention focuses on you and it expects that appropriate solutions will be adopted to overcome the crisis, with common agreements which will not favour some countries at the expense of others".MESS/ VIS 20101111 (270)
LETTER FROM THE HOLY FATHER TO THE PRESIDENT OF IRAN VATICAN CITY, 11 NOV 2010 (VIS) - Made public today was a Letter from Benedict XVI addressed to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, president of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Letter was delivered by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, during a meeting with President Ahmadinejad on 9 November in Tehran. In his Letter, written in response to a message sent to him by the vice president of Iran, the Pope expresses his "profound conviction that respect for the transcendent dimension of the human person is an indispensable condition for the construction of a just social order and a stable peace. Indeed, the relationship with God is the ultimate foundation for the inalienable dignity and sacred character of every human life. "When the promotion of the dignity of the human person is the primary inspiration of political and social activity that is committed to search for the common good, solid and enduring foundations are created for building peace and harmony between peoples", the Pope adds. "The Catholics present in Iran and those around the world make efforts to collaborate with their fellow citizens to contribute loyally and honestly to the common good of the respective societies in which they live, becoming builders of peace and reconciliation".BXVI-LETTER/ VIS 20101111 (220)
AUDIENCES VATICAN CITY, 11 NOV 2010 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences: - Thirteen prelates from the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil, on their "ad limina" visit: - Bishop Volodemer Koubetch O.S.B.M. of Sao Joao Batista em Curitiba of the Ukrainians. - Bishop Antonio Braz Benevente of Jacarezinho. - Archbishop Anuar Battisti of Maringa. - Bishop Francisco Javier Del Valle Paredes of Campo Mourao. - Fr. Ilson Luiz Da Graca, diocesan administrator of Paranavai. - Bishop Sergio Aparecido Colombo of Braganca Paulista. - Msgr. Jose Dantas De Sousa, diocesan administrator of Umuarama. - Bishop Vicente Costa of Jundiai. - Archbishop Mauro Aparecido dos Santos of Cascavel. - Bishop Laurindo Guizzardi C.S., emeritus of Foz do Iguacu. - Bishop Jose Anonio Peruzzo of Palmas - Francisco Beltrao. - Bishop Francisco Carlos Bach of Toledo. - Bishop Giovanni Zerbini S.D.B., emeritus of Guarapuava. - Bishop Gerhard Ludwig Muller of Regensburg, Germany.AL/ VIS 20101111 (160)
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS VATICAN CITY, 11 NOV 2010 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Bishop Lourdes Daniel of Amravati, India, apostolic administrator of Nashik, India, as bishop of Nashik (area 57,532, population 21,020,000, Catholics 93,300, priests 105, religious 422).
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