- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS-------------------------------------------------------------------------
POPE FRANCIS' PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR JULY
Vatican City, 30 June 2014 (VIS) – The Pope's universal prayer intention for July is “that sports may always be occasions of human fraternity and growth”.
His prayer intention for evangelisation is “that the Holy Spirit may support the work of the laity who proclaim the Gospel in the poorest countries”.
POPE FRANCIS JOINS IN THE SUFFERING OF THE FAMILIES OF THREE MURDERED ISRAELI TEENAGERS
Vatican City, 1 July 2014 (VIS) – “The news of the killing of the three young abducted Israelis is terrible and dramatic”, declared the director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., late yesterday afternoon. “The assassination of innocent people is always an execrable and unacceptable crime, and a very serious obstacle on the path towards the peace for which we must tirelessly continue to strive and pray. Violence begets violence, and feeds the vicious circle of hatred. Pope France participates in the unspeakable suffering of the families struck by this homicidal violence and the pain of all persons afflicted by the consequences of hatred, and prays that God might inspire all with thoughts of compassion and peace”. |
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STATISTICS ON THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA
Vatican City, 1 July 2014 (VIS) – The Holy Father will make an apostolic trip to the Republic of Korea from 13 to 18 August, on the occasion of the 6th Asian Youth Day. The following statistics relate to the Catholic Church in Korea, dating from 31 December 2013, and are provided by the Central Office of Church Statistics.
The Republic of Korea has an area of 99,268 square kilometres and a population of 50,220,000, of whom 5,393,000 are Catholics, corresponding to 10.7% of the population. There are 16 ecclesiastical circumscriptions, 1,673 parishes and 843 pastoral centres. The apostolate is carried out by 35 bishops, 4,261 priests, 516 male religious and 9,016 female religious, 123 lay missionaries and 14,195 catechists. There are 395 minor and 1,489 major seminarians.
There are 328 educational centres of all levels directed or owned by the Catholic Church throughout the Republic of Korea, in which there are 221,020 students, as well as 49 special centres. There are also 200 health and welfare centres belonging to or directed by the Church: 40 hospitals, 4 clinics, 9 leper colonies, 513 rest homes for the elderly and disabled, 277 orphanages and nurseries, and 83 centres for family counselling and the protection of life. |
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IN MEMORIAM
Vatican City, 1 July 2014 (VIS) – The following prelates died in recent weeks:
- Bishop Joseph Befe Ateba of Kribi, Cameroon, on 4 June at the age of 52.
- Bishop Alejandro Antonio Buccolini, S.D.B, emeritus of Rio Gallegos, Argentina, on 6 June at the age of 84.
- Bishop Juan Maria Leonardi Villasmil of Punto Fijo, Venezuela, on 7 June at the age of 67.
-Cardinal Bernard Agre, archbishop emeritus of Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, on 9 June at the age of 88.
- Bishop Vital Joao Geraldo Wilderink, O. Carm., emeritus of Itaguai, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 11 June at the age of 82.
- Archbishop Moacyr Jose Vitti, C.S.S. of Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, on 26 June at the age of 73.
- Bishop Bernard Ferdinand Popp, emeritus of San Antonio, Texas, U.S.A., on 27 June at the age of 96.
- Archbishop Petero Mataca, emeritus of Suva, Fiji, on 30 June at the age of 81. |
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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 1 July 2014 (VIS) – The Holy Father has appointed the following as consultors of the Pontifical Council for Culture:
Fr. Paul Bere, S.J., professor of sacred scripture at the Theological Institute of the Society of Jesus in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire; Fr. Pablo d'Ors, C.M.F., director of the theatre writing workshop of the University of Madrid, Spain; Fr. Kevin Fitzgerald, S.J., lecturer in bioethics at Georgetown University, U.S.A.; Fr. Fernando Ortega, dean of the faculty of theology at the Pontifical Catholic University of Buenos Aires, Argentina; Professor Edward Alam, U.S.A., lecturer in philosophy and theology at the Notre Dame University in Louaize, Lebanon; Professor Ralf van Buhren, Federal Republic of Germany, lecturer in Christian art and religious architecture at the faculty of social communication of the Pontifical University of the Sacred Heart, Rome; Professor Glen Chatelier, director of the office for international affairs at the Assumption University, Bangkok, Thailand; Edio Costantini, director of the “Luigi Gedda” national study centre of the Centro Sportivo Italiano - CSI, Italy; Professor Ivano Dionigi, rector of the University of Bologna and president of the Pontificia Accademia Latinitatis, Italy; Joachim Hake, director of the Katholische Akademie of Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany; Choe Hyondok, Korea, coordinator of the Catedra de Estudios de Corea y del Este Asiatico at the University of Costa Rica; Marguerite Lena, lecturer in philosophy at the College des Bernardins in Paris, France; and Piotr Pasterczyk, lecturer in cultural history at the Catholic University of Lublin, Poland. |
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POPE FRANCIS' NEW APPEAL FOR PEACE IN IRAQ
Vatican City, 29 June 2014 (VIS) – “The news from Iraq is, unfortunately, very painful”, said the Holy Father after today's Angelus prayer. “I join with the bishops of the country in their appeal to the authorities so that, through dialogue, national unity may be maintained and war avoided. I am close to the thousands of families, especially Christians, who have had to leave their homes and who are in grave danger. Violence begets violence; dialogue is the only path to peace. Let us pray to the Virgin Mary that she might safeguard the people of Iraq”. |
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A CHRISTIAN WITHOUT MARY IS AN ORPHAN
Vatican City, 30 June 2014 (VIS) – On Saturday afternoon, in the Lourdes Grotto in the Vatican Gardens, the Pope met with a group of young people from the diocese of Rome embarking on a vocational journey. “This visit to the Virgin is very important in our lives”, he said. “She accompanies us also in our definitive choice, the vocational choice, as she accompanied her Son on his vocational path which was so hard and so painful”.
“When a Christian says to me, not that he does not love the Virgin, but rather that it does not come to mind to look to the Virgin or to pray to the Virgin, I feel sad”, he said, adding that “a Christian without the Virgin is an orphan. A Christian needs these two women, these two mothers, two virgin women: the Church and Our Lady. And to 'test' a true Christian vocation, it is necessary to ask oneself, 'how is my relationship with these two Mothers?”.
The Pontiff went on to remark that in today's provisional culture, care must be taken not to lose sight of the definitive. “We are afraid of the definitive. And to choose a vocation, any vocation, including vocations that involve a 'state' such as marriage, consecrated life, the priesthood, one must choose with a view to the definitive. This is contrary to the culture of the provisional. It is a part of the culture in which we must live in this time, but we must live through this and conquer it”.
In conclusion, the Pope encouraged all present to sing the “Salve Regina” and imparted his blessing to all the young people and their families, asking them to pray for him. |
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MADAGASCAR: THE CATHOLIC CHURCH'S POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION ON THE PATH TO RECONCILIATION AND STABILITY
Vatican City, 28 June 2014 (VIS) – This morning in the Vatican Apostolic Palace the Holy Father Francis received in audience the president of the Republic of Madagascar, Hery Martial Rajaonarimampianina, who subsequently met with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, accompanied by Msgr. Antoine Camilleri, under-secretary for Relations with States.
During the cordial discussions, after expressing satisfaction with the good relations between the Holy See and the Republic of Madagascar, the Parties focused on the current phase of recovery within the country, underlining the positive contribution of the Catholic Church on the path to national reconciliation and political stability, as well as her contribution in the education and healthcare sectors. Themes of common interest were then considered, such as the struggle against poverty and social inequality.
Mention was made of the international situation and the conflicts affecting various regions in the world. |
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THE AIF SIGNS INFORMATION SHARING AGREEMENT WITH THE USA OFFICE OF THE COMPTROLLER OF THE CURRENCY
Vatican City, 30 June 2014 (VIS) – The Autorità Informazione Finanziaria (AIF), the Financial Intelligence Authority of the Holy See and Vatican City State, has signed an agreement to exchange information with the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC).
This Information Sharing Exchange of Letters is the first bilateral agreement of AIF in its role as Financial Supervisor and Regulator within the Holy See and Vatican City State. It represents a significant strengthening of international cooperation between the Holy See and the United States of America.
“This is a further step in Holy See’s efforts towards perfecting a system of financial regulation and part of our commitment to transparency and international cooperation,” said Rene Bruelhart, the Director of AIF. “The Holy See is part of the global family of well-regulated jurisdictions and the signing of this agreement reflects that very clearly.”
The agreement with the OCC follows the passing of the new law regarding financial activities in the Holy See, Law XVIII, in October 2013 and the enactment of AIF’s new statute in November 2013, which introduced a new supervisory function as part of AIF’s mandate.
AIF expects further bilateral agreements with financial supervisors and regulators of other countries to follow in due course, and continues in its efforts to strengthen its own regulatory infrastructure in fostering international cooperation.
The OCC is an independent authority within the Treasury Department of the United States and serves to charter, regulate and supervise all national banks and the federal branches and agencies of foreign banks in the United States.
AIF is the competent authority of the Holy See and Vatican City State to fight money laundering and the financing of terrorism. According to its mandate, AIF has a double role and acts both as Financial Supervisor and Regulator as well as Financial Intelligence Unit. In its function as Financial Intelligence Unit, AIF became a member of the Egmont Group in July 2013, and has already signed MOUs with the Financial Intelligence Units of more than a dozen countries, including the U.K., the United States, France, Spain, Italy and Germany. It was established in 2010 and became operational in 2011. |
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AUDIENCES
Vatican City, 30 June 2014 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father received in audience:
- Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Muller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
- Archbishop Jean-Paul Gobel, apostolic nuncio in the Arab Republic of Egypt, delegate of the Holy See to the League of Arab States.
- Archbishop Marek Zalewski, apostolic nuncio in Zimbabwe, with members of his family.
- Archbishop Hubertus Matheus Maria van Megen, apostolic nuncio in Sudan and Eritrea.
- Archbishop Daniel Fernando Sturla Berhouet of Montevideo, Uruguay.
- Charles Ghislain, ambassador of Belgium, on his farewell visit.
- Fernando Felipe Sanchez Campos, ambassador of Costa Rica, on his farewell visit.
- Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.
On Saturday, 28 June, the Holy Father received in audience:
- Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
- Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers (Health Care Pastoral).
- Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity. |
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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 28 June 2014 (VIS) – The Holy Father has appointed Msgr. Gennaro Acampa as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Naples (area 274, population 1,744,000, Catholics 1,715,000, priests 287, permanent deacons 292, religious 3,413), Italy. The bishop-elect was born in Naples, Italy in 1945 and was ordained a priest in 1968. He holds a licentiate in sacred theology from the Pontifical Theological Faculty of Southern Italy. He has served in a number of pastoral roles, including priest in the parish of Sacro Cuore di Gesu in Santa Maria Ognibene, spiritual father of the “Paul VI” minor seminary; spiritual father for aspiring permanent deacons, dean of the 1st deanery of the archdiocese of Naples and member of the diocesan presbyteral council. He is currently curate prepositor of the Collegiate Parish of San Giovanni Maggiore in Naples and episcopal vicar for the clergy and for formation. |
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