"I am thinking," the Pope said, "of the many difficult situations such as the continued attacks taking place in Iraq against Christians and Muslims, the confrontations in Egypt that have left dead and wounded, the victims of drug traffickers and criminals, as well as the hostages from Eritrea and other nationalities who have been taken in the Sinai desert. Respect for the rights of all is a requisite for civil coexistence. May this, our prayer to the Lord and our solidarity," he concluded, "bring hope to those who are suffering".
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VATICAN CITY, 4 DEC 2010 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Bishop Jozef Guzdek, auxiliary of Krakow, Poland, as military ordinary of Poland.
- Accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary of Hildesheim, Germany, presented by Bishop Hans-Georg Koitz, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Fr. Heinz-Gunter Bongartz of the clergy of Hildesheim, Germany, director of the "pastoral personnel" department of the diocesan curia and canon of the cathedral chapter of Hildesheim, as auxiliary of that diocese (area 30,000, population 5,700,000, Catholics 634,365, priests 420, permanent deacons 99, religious 424). The bishop-elect was born in Gutersloh, Germany in 1955 and ordained a priest in 1982.
- Appointed as counsellors of the Apostolic Penitentiary Fr. Enrique Colom Costa, professor of moral theology at Rome's Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, and Fr. Paolo Carlotti S.D.B., professor of fundamental moral theology at Rome's Pontifical Salesian University.
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FAITH STRENGTHENED WHEN ILLUMINATED BY THE DIVINE WORD
VATICAN CITY, 5 DEC 2010 (VIS) - At noon today, the second Sunday of Advent, the Holy Father stood at the window of his study to pray the Angelus with the faithful present in St. Peter's Square.
"This Sunday's Gospel," the Pope said, "presents St. John the Baptist who, following a noted prophecy by Isaiah, went into the Judean desert and with his preaching called the people to conversion in order to prepare for the imminent arrival of the Messiah [...] The precursor of Christ, situated between the Old and New Covenants, is like a star who precedes the rising of the Sun, of Christ".
During the Advent season "we are also called to listen to the voice of God crying out in the wilderness of the world through Sacred Scripture, especially when it is preached with the strength of the Holy Spirit. In fact, faith is fortified when it is most illuminated by the divine Word", the pontiff added.
"The Virgin Mary is the model of listening ", Benedict XVI concluded, citing the Apostolic Exhortation Verbum Domini: "As we contemplate in the Mother of God a life totally shaped by the word, we realize that we too are called to enter into the mystery of faith, whereby Christ comes to dwell in our lives".
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HOLY FATHER RECEIVES PRIME MINISTER OF HUNGARY
VATICAN CITY, 6 DEC 2010 (VIS) - Today at noon, the Press Office of the Holy See made public the following communique:
"On the morning of Monday, 6 December, the Holy Father Benedict XVI received in audience His Excellency Mr. Viktor Orban, Prime Minister of the Republic of Hungary, who successively met with the Secretary of State, His Eminence Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, accompanied by His Excellency Msgr. Dominique Mamberti, Secretary for Relations with States".
"During the cordial discussion, the prime minister outlined the country's current social, economic, and political situation. The importance of the Christian tradition in the life of the nation and the role of the Catholic Church for its renewal was emphasized. The next semester of Hungarian presidency of the European Union was then discussed, highlighting some convergences of vision between Hungary and the Holy See on major themes that concern the European continent. Finally, a few items regarding relations and cooperation in the region were covered".
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VATICAN CITY, 6 DEC 2010 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:
- Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, archbishop of Naples, Italy.
- Archbishop Hans-Josef Becker, of Paderborn, Germany.
- Msgr. Massimo Camisasca, superior general of the Fraternity of St. Charles Borromeo.
On Saturday 4 December he received in separate audiences:
- Cardinal Marc Ouellet P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
- Cardinal Franc Rode C.M., prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
- Olav Fykse Tveit, secretary general of the Ecumenical Council of Churches, accompanied by an entourage.
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