1. religion and spirituality
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L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO
WEEKLY EDITION
IN ENGLISH
Unicuique suum
Forty-seventh year, number 48 (2373)
Non praevalebunt
Vatican City
Friday, 28 November 2014
Pope Francis visits the European Parliament and the Council of Europe in Strasbourg
To restore hope in the future
Time for the continent to revolve around the sacredness of the human person and not the economy
Asking how hope in the future can be restored,
Pope Francis raised his voice to the European
Parliament in Strasbourg, France on Tuesday, 25
November. It was this question, vital to the destiny of a crisis-stricken continent, that marked
the clear and incisive address in which the
Pontiff also called the Parliamentarians to rediscover the central role of the family and educational institutions, as well as the importance of
protecting the environment, defending the right
to work and making a home for migrants. The
Pope took up these same issues to the Council
of Europe in his second and final address of the
day. He also asked them to place special emphasis on eliminating the “culture of conflict
aimed at fear of others”, which marginalizes
“those who think or live differently than
ourselves”. The Holy Father’s visit to Strasbourg
is the shortest Papal journey abroad, lasting no
more than 8 hours.
To meet
the needs
GIOVANNI MARIA VIAN
PAGES 4-8
Returning from Strasbourg
Six new saints proclaimed on the Feast of Christ the King
Europe needs dialogue
PAGE 3
Card. Fiorenzo Angelini dies at 98
First President of dicastery
for health care workers
PAGE 9
Visit to the
Pastors and hirelings
The Holy Father celebrated the
Canonization Mass for six new
saints on Sunday morning, 23
November, in St Peter’s Square.
The saints’ “preference for the
smallest and poorest,” the Pope
said in his homily, “was the reflection and measure of their unconditional love of God. In fact, they
sought and discovered love in a
strong and personal relationship
with God”.
FAO
Asking for dignity
not alms
PAGE 10/11
The General Audience on the Church in heaven and on earth
Pope Francis paid an indispensable visit to Strasbourg to visit the
European Parliament and the
Council of Europe on Tuesday, 25
November, to meet with politicians and deliver — as a Pastor,
the Bishop of Rome was quick to
specify — a message of hope and
encouragement that they may be
the first to minister to the needs
of the continent. A continent
which — commonly called “old”
and bearing the marks of age, if
only demographically — has been
for some time exhibiting signs of
weariness and pessimism.
To
the
representatives
of
Europe, the Pontiff, — true to the
etymology of the term, “bridge
builder”, who never tires of repeating the need for encounter, indeed for a culture of encounter —
consigned two challenging and
foresighted addresses. His words
were thoughtful and careful to
convey, above all, confidence in
the “old continent”, the heir and
custodian of an immense legacy of
ideals. For this very reason, before
the world, to fulfil its responsibility much is demanded from every
person.
Over a quarter of a century has
passed since the first visit of a
pope to these European institutions, one year before the fall of
the Berlin Wall, marking the beginning of a time of great change
and not for the continent alone.
Since then the world has become
less eurocentric and there is a
more evident awareness of multiCONTINUED ON PAGE 2
This is the goal
To the Seventh World Congress for
the Pastoral Care of Migrants
No one is a foreigner
PAGE 13
PAGE 15
The Church in Australia
To the World Congress of Ecclesial
Movements and New Communities
A place of importance
on the map
Patience is the only way
PAGE 19
PAGE 3
D OMINIQUE MAMBERTI
ON PAGE
14
L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO
page 2
To meet
the needs
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
polarity. Alongside this challenge,
the Pope approached that of
transversality, which he said he
had noticed— and he reminded
journalists of this on the flight
home — in the youngest politicians who represent hope for
Europe.
Pope Francis, a man of listening and dialogue, is aware of the
difficulties, aggravated today by a
heavy and persistent economic
crisis, but he knows that these
must lead to unity if we are to
overcome fear and anguish. Behind Europe’s current history is a
century marked by two terrible
wars that soaked the continent in
blood. Today the world as a
whole must address intolerance
and the terrorism of fundamentalist groups, that hide behind religious pretexts but offend God
and trample upon the human being.
The human person is at the
very centre of Pope Francis’ two
discourses which he delivered,
and consigns to Europe. Accompanied by repeated applause, the
Holy Father, with great precision,
recalled Europe’s founding fathers and encouraged all to follow
up their ideals. However, he also
denounced certain weaknesses
and tendencies that are not only
found in Europe: from an individualism infected by loneliness
to an increasingly senseless consumerism, from the dark dominion of financial power to the notorious trafficking of weapons
and especially of human beings.
These are the needs that must be
addressed by parliament in the
first place, and then by every citizen.
This also implies that the role
and the responsibility of politics
in the building of democracy is:
to “create peace”; the road on
which the Church, an “expert in
humanity”, intends to offer her
contribution, according to two
expressions of Paul VI, which his
Successor cited, also calling to
mind an ancient text that graphically compares Christians to the
soul in a body.
And so “the time has come,”
Pope Francis said, “to work together in building a Europe
which revolves not around the
economy, but around the sacredness of the human person”, definitively abandoning “the idea of a
Europe which is fearful and selfabsorbed, in order to revive and
encourage a Europe of leadership”, which by defending the
person may be a “precious point
of reference” for the whole human family.
G.M.V.
L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO
WEEKLY EDITION
Unicuique suum
IN ENGLISH
Non praevalebunt
VATICAN BULLETIN
AUDIENCES
Cultural Organization, with his entourage
Friday, 21 November
Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller,
President of the Congregation for
the Doctrine of the Faith
Bishop Enrico dal Covolo, SDB, titular Bishop of Heraclea, Rector Magnificent of the Pontifical Lateran
University
Bishop Anthony Sablan Apuron,
OFM Cap., of Agaña, Guam
Saturday, 22 November
Cardinal Marc Ouellet, PSS, Prefect
of the Congregation for Bishops
Monday, 24 November
H.E. Mr Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of
Egypt, with his entourage
H.E. Mr Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and
CHANGES
IN
EPISCOPATE
The Holy Father accepted the resignation of Archbishop Louis Kébreau, SDB, of Cap-Haïtien, Haiti. It
was presented in accord with can.
401 § 1 of the Code of Canon Law.
He is succeeded by Archbishop Max
Leroy Mésidor, who until now has
been Coadjutor of the said Archdiocese (15 Nov.).
Archbishop Mésidor, 52, was born
in Saint-Marc, Haïti. He was ordained a priest on 10 January 1988.
He was ordained a bishop on 28 July 2012, subsequent to his appointment as Bishop of Fort-Liberté,
Haïti. On 1 November 2013, he was
appointed Coadjutor of Cap-Haïtien, Haïti.
The Holy Father accepted the resignation of Bishop Ramón Calderón
Pope receives the President of Egypt
On Monday, 24 November, Pope
Francis received H.E. Mr Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, who subsequently
met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State.
During the cordial exchange, discussions centred around the situation
in the Egyptian nation, highlighting
the closeness and solidarity of the
Church to all the people of Egypt
during this period of political transition. At the same time, hope was expressed that within the framework of
guarantees enshrined by the new Constitution in terms of the safeguard
of human rights and religious freedom, the peaceful coexistence among
all components of society may be strengthened and the path to interreligious dialogue may continue to be pursued.
Furthermore, themes of common interest were discussed with particular
reference to the role of the country in the promotion of peace and stability in the Middle East and North Africa. In this regard, it was reiterated
that dialogue and negotiation are the only options to put an end to the
conflicts and to the violence that endanger defenseless populations and
cause the loss of human lives.
Biography of our newly-appointed
Deputy Editor
Born in Rome on 21 September 1960, Giuseppe Fiorentino, the newly-appointed Deputy Editor of L’Osservatore Romano, earned a degree in modern foreign languages from Sapienza University of Rome, where he wrote his thesis on Mark Twain. In 1988 he began collaborating with L’Osservatore Romano, where he worked in the Vatican section for more than a
decade, serving as the newspaper’s envoy to central Europe, the Middle
East and around Italy. In 1999 he moved to the international section, of
which he became the head in 2008. He is married to Roselaine De Oliveira and is the father to two daughters: Clara and Elisabetta. When the
Editor-in-Chief announced his appointment, among other things, he spoke of how this underlines the international character of the newspaper
and his trust in Fiorentino, who will take office on 1 December.
GIOVANNI MARIA VIAN
Editor-in-Chief
Mary M. Nolan
Editor
Vatican City
[email protected]
www.osservatoreromano.va
Friday, 28 November 2014, number 48
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L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO
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Batres of Linares, Mexico. It was
presented in accord with can. 401 § 1
of the Code of Canon Law (19
Nov.).
The Holy Father appointed Fr Hilario González García from the
clergy of Monterrey, Mexico, as
Bishop of Linares. Until now he has
been Rector of the Major Seminary
in the Archdiocese of Monterrey (19
Nov.).
Bishop-elect González García, 49,
was born in Monterrey, Mexico. He
was ordained a priest on 15 August
1995. He holds a licence in theology.
He has served as: spiritual director,
prefect of philosophy and vice-rector
of the Major Seminary; chaplain to
various religious communities of women; promoter of ecumenism and
interreligious dialogue; executive
secretary of the Commission for
Ecumenism and Dialogue of the
Mexican Episcopal Conference.
The Holy Father appointed Bishop
Peter Andrew Comensoli as Bishop
of Broken Bay, Australia. Until now
he has been titular Bishop of Tigisi
in Numidia and Auxiliary of the
Archdiocese of Sydney (20 Nov.).
Bishop Comensoli, 50, was born
in Bulli, New South Wales. He was
ordained a priest on 22 May 1992.
He was ordained a bishop on 8 June
2011, subsequent to his appointment
as Auxiliary of Sydney.
The Holy Father appointed Fr Ariel
Lascarro Tapia from the clergy of
the Archdiocese of Cartagena,
Colombia, as Bishop of Magangué.
Until now he has been Archdiocesan
vicar and parish priest of Nuestra
Señora del Perpetuo Socorro in Bocagrande (20 Nov.).
Bishop-elect Lascarro Tapia, 47,
was born in Carmen de Bolivar,
Colombia. He holds a licence in
theology. He was ordained a priest
on 22 October 1994. He has served
in parish ministry and as: Archdiocesan head of the vocational pastoral ministry; delegate for the Missionary Childhood and archdiocesan
delegate for the biblical formation of
pastoral care.
The Holy Father accepted the resignation of Bishop Luis Carlos Gleisner Wobbe, titular Bishop of
Mididi, from his office as Auxiliary
of the Archdiocese of La Serena,
Chile. It was presented in accord
with cann. 411 and 401 § 1 of the
Code of Canon Law (21 Nov.).
The Holy Father appointed Fr
Moisés Carlos Atisha Contreras from
the clergy of the Archdiocese of
Santiago de Chile, Chile, as Bishop
of San Marcos de Arica. Until now
he has been parish priest of La AsCONTINUED ON PAGE 18
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number 48, Friday, 28 November 2014
L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO
page 3
At the General Audience on the Church in heaven and on earth
This is the goal
On Wednesday morning, 26 November,
the Pope continued his catecheses on
the Church and asked all faithful to
pray that his visit this Friday to
Turkey “bear the fruit of peace, sincere
dialogue between religions and concord
in the Turkish nation”. The following is
a translation of the Pope’s catechesis
which was delivered in Italian.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Good morning.
Today’s weather is a bit unpleasant
but you are all brave, my compliments! Let’s hope to be able to pray
together today.
In presenting the Church to the
men and women of our time, the
Second Vatican Council kept well in
mind a fundamental truth, one we
should never forget: the Church is
not a static reality, inert, an end in
herself, but is on a continual journey
through history, towards that ultimate and marvelous end that is the
Kingdom of Heaven, of which the
Church on earth is the seed and the
beginning (cf. Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium,
n. 5). When we turn to this horizon,
we discover that our imagination
falls short, hardly able to intuit the
splendour of a mystery which surpasses our senses. And several questions spontaneously rise up in us:
when will that final step happen?
What will the new dimension which
the Church enters be like? What will
become of humanity then? And of
Creation around us? But these questions are not new, the disciples had
already asked Jesus about them at
that time: “When will this come to
pass? When will the Spirit triumph
over creation, over creatures, over
everything...”. These are human
questions, time-old questions. And
we too are asking these questions.
1. The Conciliar Constitution
Gaudium et Spes, faced with these
questions that forever resonate in the
hearts of men and women, states:
“We do not know the time for the
consummation of the earth and of
humanity, nor do we know how all
things will be transformed. As deformed by sin, the shape of this
world will pass away; but we are
taught that God is preparing a new
dwelling place and a new earth
where justice will abide, and whose
blessedness will answer and surpass
all the longings for peace which
spring up in the human heart” (n.
39). This is the Church’s destination:
it is, as the Bible says, the “new Jerusalem”, “Paradise”. More than a
place, it is a “state” of soul in which
our deepest hopes are fulfilled in superabundance and our being, as
creatures and as children of God,
reach their full maturity. We will finally be clothed in the joy, peace
and love of God, completely,
without any limit, and we will come
face to face with Him! (cf. 1 Cor
13:12). It is beautiful to think of this,
to think of Heaven. We will all be
there together. It is beautiful, it
gives strength to the soul.
2. In this perspective, it is good
to grasp the kind of continuity and
deep communion there is between
the Church in Heaven and that
which is still a pilgrim on earth.
Those who already live in the sight
of God can indeed sustain us and
intercede for us, pray for us. On the
other hand, we too are always invited to offer up good works, prayer
and the Eucharist itself in order to
alleviate the tribulation of souls still
awaiting never-ending beatitude.
Yes, because in the Christian perspective the distinction is not
between who is dead and who is
Press conference on the return flight from Strasbourg
Europe needs to dialogue
The following is a translation of
Pope Francis discussion with journalists on board the flight from
Strasbourg to Rome on 25 November, at the conclusion of the fifth
international journey of his Pontificate. The meeting was introduced
and led by Fr Lombardi.
Renaud Bernard: This morning, before the European Parliament, you delivered an address with pastoral
words, but with words that can be
heard as political words, and which
may — in my opinion — be compared
to a socio-democratic sentiment. I can
draw a brief example: when you say
that expressions of the true strength of
the people must not be allowed to collapse under the pressure of multinational interests. Can we say that you
could be a Socio-Democratic Pope?
This is reductionism, my dear
man! There, I feel like I’m part of a
bug collection: “This one is a sociodemocratic insect...”. No, I would
say not: I don’t know whether I am
a Socio-Democratic Pope or not....
I wouldn’t dare to qualify myself as
being on one side or another. I
dare say that this comes from the
Gospel: this is the message of the
Gospel, taken from the Social Doctrine of the Church. Concretely, I
have never moved away from the
Church in her Social Doctrine no
matter what social or political comments I may have made. The Social
Doctrine of the Church comes from
the Gospel and from Christian Tradition. What I’ve said, the identity
of peoples, is a Gospel value, is it
not? I was referring to this sense.
But you’ve made me laugh, thank
you!
Jean-Marie Guénois: Your Holiness,
there was practically no one on the
streets of Strasbourg this morning. The
people said they were disappointed. Do
you regret not going to the Cathedral
of Strasbourg, which is celebrating its
millennium this year? And when will
you make your first visit to France,
and where? Lisieux, perhaps?
No, it’s not been planned yet,
but certainly one should go to Paris, no? Then, there is a proposal to
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
not, but between who is in Christ
and who is not! This is the point of
determination, what is truly decisive
for our salvation and for our happiness.
3. At the same time, Sacred Scripture teaches us that the fulfillment
of this marvellous plan cannot but
involve everything that surrounds us
and came from the heart and mind
of God. The Apostle Paul says it explicitly, when he says that “Creation
itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious
liberty of the children of God”
(Rom 8:21). Other texts utilize the
image of a “new heaven” and a “new
earth” (cf. 2 Pet 3:13; Rev 21:1), in
the sense that the whole universe
will be renewed and will be freed
once and for all from every trace of
evil and from death itself. What lies
ahead is the fulfillment of a transformation that in reality is already
happening, beginning with the
death and resurrection of Christ.
Hence, it is the new creation; it is
not, therefore, the annihilation of
the cosmos and of everything
around us, but the bringing of all
things into the fullness of being, of
truth and of beauty. This is the
design that God, the Father, Son
and Holy Spirit, willed from eternity
to realize and is realizing.
Dear friends, when we think of
this magnificent reality awaiting us,
we become aware of how marvellous
a gift it is to belong to the Church
which bears in writing the highest of
vocations! So, let us ask the Virgin
Mary, Mother of the Church, to
keep constant watch over our journey and to help us to be, as she is, a
joyful sign of trust and of hope
among our brothers and sisters.
SPECIAL
GREETINGS
I offer an affectionate greeting to
all the English-speaking pilgrims
and visitors present at today’s Audience, including those from England,
Kenya, Nigeria, Canada and the
United States. May your stay in the
Eternal City confirm you in love for
our Lord and his Church. May God
bless you all!
As you know, this Friday to
Sunday I will be on an Apostolic
Journey in Turkey. I invite all to
pray that this visit of Peter to his
brother Andrew may bear the fruit
of peace, sincere dialogue among religions and concord in the Turkish
nation.
L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO
page 4
Friday, 28 November 2014, number 48
Address of the Holy Father to the European Parliament in Strasbourg
Between dignity and transcendence
To place man at the heart of the political project of Europe — not so much as a
“citizen” or an “economic agent”, but as “persons endowed with transcendent
dignity”. This was the Holy Father’s invitation to the members of the European
Parliament in Strasbourg, on Tuesday, 25 November. The following is the English
text of the Pope’s address.
Mr President and Vice Presidents,
Members of the European
Parliament,
All associated with the work of this
Institution,
Dear Friends,
I thank you for inviting me to address this institution which is fundamental to the life of the European
Union, and for giving me this opportunity to speak, through you, to
the more than 500 million citizens
whom you represent in the 28 Member States. I am especially grateful
to you, Mr President, for your warm
words of welcome in the name of
the entire assembly.
My visit comes more than a
quarter of a century after that of
Pope John Paul II. Since then, much
has changed throughout Europe and
the world as a whole. The opposing
blocs which then divided the continent in two no longer exist, and
gradually the hope is being realized
that “Europe, endowed with sovereign and free institutions, will one
day reach the full dimensions that
geography, and even more, history
have given it”.1
As the European Union has expanded, the world itself has become
more complex and ever changing;
increasingly
interconnected
and
global, it has, as a consequence, become less and less “Eurocentric”.
Despite a larger and stronger Union,
Europe seems to give the impression
of being somewhat elderly and haggard, feeling less and less a protagonist in a world which frequently regards it with aloofness, mistrust and
even, at times, suspicion.
In addressing you today, I would
like, as a pastor, to offer a message
of hope and encouragement to all
the citizens of Europe.
It is a message of hope, based on
the confidence that our problems
can become powerful forces for
unity in working to overcome all
those fears which Europe — together
with the entire world — is presently
experiencing. It is a message of
hope in the Lord, who turns evil into good and death into life.
It is a message of encouragement
to return to the firm conviction of
the founders of the European Union, who envisioned a future based
on the capacity to work together in
bridging divisions and in fostering
peace and fellowship between all the
peoples of this continent. At the
heart of this ambitious political project was confidence in man, not so
much as a citizen or an economic
agent, but in man, in men and women as persons endowed with transcendent dignity.
I feel bound to stress the close
bond between these two words:
“dignity” and “transcendent”.
“D ignity” was a pivotal concept in
the process of rebuilding which fol-
lowed the Second World War. Our
recent past has been marked by the
concern to protect human dignity, in
contrast to the manifold instances of
violence and discrimination which,
even in Europe, took place in the
course of the centuries. Recognition
of the importance of human rights
came about as the result of a
lengthy process, entailing much suffering and sacrifice, which helped
shape an awareness of the unique
worth of each individual human person. This awareness was grounded
not only in historical events, but
above all in European thought,
In the end, what kind of dignity
is there without the possibility of
freely expressing one’s thought or
professing one’s religious faith?
What dignity can there be without a
clear juridical framework which limits the rule of force and enables the
rule of law to prevail over the power
of tyranny? What dignity can men
and women ever enjoy if they are
subjected to all types of discrimination? What dignity can a person
ever hope to find when he or she
lacks food and the bare essentials
for survival and, worse yet, when
they lack the work which confers
dignity?
Promoting the dignity of the person means recognizing that he or
she possesses inalienable rights
which no one may take away arbit-
Raphael, “The School of Athens” (1509-1510, detail)
characterized as it is by an enriching
encounter whose “distant springs are
many, coming from Greece and
Rome, from Celtic, Germanic and
Slavic sources, and from Christianity
which profoundly shaped them”,2
thus forging the very concept of the
“person”.
Today, the promotion of human
rights is central to the commitment
of the European Union to advance
the dignity of the person, both within the Union and in its relations
with other countries. This is an important and praiseworthy commitment, since there are still too many
situations in which human beings
are treated as objects whose conception, configuration and utility can be
programmed, and who can then be
discarded when no longer useful,
due to weakness, illness or old age.
rarily, much less for the sake of economic interests.
At the same time, however, care
must be taken not to fall into certain
errors which can arise from a misunderstanding of the concept of human rights and from its misuse.
Today there is a tendency to claim
ever broader individual rights — I
am tempted to say individualistic;
underlying this is a conception of
the human person as detached from
all social and anthropological contexts, as if the person were a “monad”, increasingly unconcerned with
other surrounding “monads”. The
equally essential and complementary
concept of duty no longer seems to
be linked to such a concept of
rights. As a result, the rights of the
individual are upheld, without regard for the fact that each human
being is part of a social context
wherein his or her rights and duties
are bound up with those of others
and with the common good of society itself.
I believe, therefore, that it is vital
to develop a culture of human rights
which wisely links the individual, or
better, the personal aspect, to that of
the common good, of the “all of us”
made up of individuals, families and
intermediate groups who together
constitute society.3 In fact, unless the
rights of each individual are harmoniously ordered to the greater good,
those rights will end up being considered limitless and consequently
will become a source of conflicts
and violence.
To speak of transcendent human
dignity thus means appealing to human nature, to our innate capacity
to distinguish good from evil, to
that “compass” deep within our
hearts, which God has impressed
upon all creation.4 Above all, it
means regarding human beings not
as absolutes, but as beings in relation.
In my view, one of the most common diseases in Europe today is the
loneliness typical of those who have
no connection with others. This is
especially true of the elderly, who
are often abandoned to their fate,
and also in the young who lack clear
points of reference and opportunities for the future. It is also seen in
the many poor who dwell in our cities and in the disorientation of immigrants who came here seeking a
better future.
This loneliness has become more
acute as a result of the economic
crisis, whose effects continue to have
tragic consequences for the life of
society. In recent years, as the
European Union has expanded,
there has been growing mistrust on
the part of citizens towards institutions considered to be aloof, engaged in laying down rules perceived as insensitive to individual
peoples, if not downright harmful.
In many quarters we encounter a
general impression of weariness and
aging, of a Europe which is now a
“grandmother”, no longer fertile and
vibrant. As a result, the great ideas
which once inspired Europe seem to
have lost their attraction, only to be
replaced by the bureaucratic technicalities of its institutions.
Together with this, we encounter
certain rather selfish lifestyles,
marked by an opulence which is no
longer sustainable and frequently indifferent to the world around us,
and especially to the poorest of the
poor. To our dismay we see technical and economic questions dominating political debate, to the detriment
of genuine concern for human beings.5 Men and women risk being
reduced to mere cogs in a machine
that treats them as items of consumption to be exploited, with the
result that — as is so tragically apparent — whenever a human life no
longer proves useful for that machine, it is discarded with few
qualms, as in the case of the sick, of
the terminally ill, the elderly who are
abandoned and uncared for, and
number 48, Friday, 28 November 2014
children who are killed in the
womb.
This is the great mistake made
“when technology is allowed to take
over”;6 the result is a confusion
between ends and means”.7 It is the
inevitable
consequence
of
a
“throwaway culture” and an uncontrolled consumerism. Upholding the
dignity of the person means instead
acknowledging the value of human
life, which is freely given to us and
hence cannot be an object of trade
or commerce. As members of this
Parliament, you are called to a great
mission which may at times seem an
impossible one: to tend to the
needs, the needs of individuals and
peoples. To tend to those in need
takes strength and tenderness, effort
and generosity in the midst of a
functionalistic and privatized mindset which inexorably leads to a
“throwaway culture”. To care for individuals and peoples in need means
protecting memory and hope; it
means taking responsibility for the
present with its situations of utter
marginalization and anguish, and
being capable of bestowing dignity
upon it.8
How, then, can hope in the future be
restored, so that, beginning with the
younger generation, there can be a rediscovery of that confidence needed to
pursue the great ideal of a united and
peaceful Europe, a Europe which is
creative and resourceful, respectful of
rights and conscious of its duties?
To answer this question, allow me
to use an image. One of the most
celebrated frescoes of Raphael is
found in the Vatican and depicts the
so-called “School of Athens”. Plato
and Aristotle are in the centre. Plato’s finger is pointed upward, to the
world of ideas, to the sky, to heaven
as we might say. Aristotle holds his
hand out before him, towards the
viewer, towards the world, concrete
reality. This strikes me as a very apt
image of Europe and her history,
made up of the constant interplay
between heaven and earth, where
the sky suggests that openness to
the transcendent — to God — which
has always distinguished the peoples
of Europe, while the earth represents
Europe’s practical and concrete ability to confront situations and problems.
The future of Europe depends on
the recovery of the vital connection
between these two elements. A
Europe which is no longer open to
the transcendent dimension of life is
a Europe which risks slowly losing
its own soul and that “humanistic
L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO
spirit” which it still loves and defends.
Taking as a starting point this
opening to the transcendent, I
would like to reaffirm the centrality
of the human person, which otherwise is at the mercy of the whims
and the powers of the moment. I
consider to be fundamental not only
the legacy that Christianity has
offered in the past to the social and
cultural formation of the continent,
but above all the contribution which
it desires to offer today, and in the
future, to Europe’s growth. This
contribution does not represent a
threat to the secularity of states or to
the independence of the institutions
of the European Union, but rather
an enrichment. This is clear from
the ideals which shaped Europe
from the beginning, such as peace,
subsidiarity and reciprocal solidarity,
and a humanism centred on respect
for the dignity of the human person.
I wish, then, to reiterate the readiness of the Holy See and the Catholic Church, through the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of
Europe (COMECE), to engage in
meaningful, open and transparent
dialogue with the institutions of the
European Union. I am likewise convinced that a Europe which is capable of appreciating its religious
roots and of grasping their fruitfulness and potential, will be all the
more immune to the many forms of
extremism spreading in the world
today, not least as a result of the
great vacuum of ideals which we are
currently witnessing in the West,
since “it is precisely man’s forgetfulness of God, and his failure to give
him glory, which gives rise to violence”.9
Here I cannot fail to recall the
many instances of injustice and persecution which daily afflict religious
minorities, and Christians in particular, in various parts of our world.
Communities and individuals today
find themselves subjected to barbaric
acts of violence: they are evicted
from their homes and native lands,
sold as slaves, killed, beheaded, crucified or burned alive, under the
shameful and complicit silence of so
many.
The motto of the European Union is United in Diversity. Unity,
however, does not mean uniformity
of political, economic and cultural
life, or ways of thinking. Indeed, all
authentic unity draws from the rich
diversities which make it up: in this
sense it is like a family, which is all
the more united when each of its
members is free to be fully himself
or herself. I consider Europe as a
family of peoples who will sense the
closeness of the institutions of the
Union when these latter are able
wisely to combine the desired ideal
of unity with the diversity proper to
each people, cherishing particular
traditions, acknowledging its past
history and its roots, liberated from
so many manipulations and phobias.
Affirming the centrality of the human person means, above all, allowing all to express freely their individuality and their creativity, both as
individuals and as peoples.
At the same time, the specific features of each one represent an authentic richness to the degree that
they are placed at the service of all.
The proper configuration of the
European Union must always be respected, based as it is on the principles of solidarity and subsidiarity,
so that mutual assistance can prevail
and progress can be made on the
basis of mutual trust.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Members
of the European Parliament, within
this dynamic of unity and particularity, yours is the responsibility of
keeping democracy alive, democracy
for the peoples of Europe. It is no
secret that a conception of unity
seen as uniformity strikes at the vitality of the democratic system,
weakening the rich, fruitful and constructive interplay of organizations
and political parties. This leads to
the risk of living in a world of ideas,
of mere words, of images, of sophistry ... and to end up confusing the
reality of democracy with a new
political
nominalism.
Keeping
democracy alive in Europe requires
avoiding the many globalizing tendencies to dilute reality: namely, angelic forms of purity, dictatorships of
relativism, brands of ahistorical fundamentalism, ethical systems lacking
kindness, and intellectual discourse
bereft of wisdom.10
Keeping democracies alive is a
challenge in the present historic moment. The true strength of our
democracies — understood as expressions of the political will of the
people — must not be allowed to
collapse under the pressure of multinational interests which are not
universal, which weaken them and
turn them into uniform systems of
economic power at the service of unseen empires. This is one of the
challenges which history sets before
you today.
To give Europe hope means more
than simply acknowledging the cent-
page 5
rality of the human person; it also
implies nurturing the gifts of each
man and woman. It means investing
in individuals and in those settings
in which their talents are shaped
and flourish. The first area surely is
that of education, beginning with
the family, the fundamental cell and
most precious element of any society. The family, united, fruitful and
indissoluble, possesses the elements
fundamental for fostering hope in
the future. Without this solid basis,
the future ends up being built on
sand, with dire social consequences.
Then too, stressing the importance
of the family not only helps to give
direction and hope to new generations, but also to many of our elderly, who are often forced to live
alone and are effectively abandoned
because there is no longer the
warmth of a family hearth able to
accompany and support them.
Alongside the family, there are the
various
educational
institutes:
schools and universities. Education
cannot be limited to providing technical expertise alone. Rather, it
should encourage the more complex
process of assisting the human person to grow in his or her totality.
Young people today are asking for a
suitable and complete education
which can enable them to look to
the future with hope instead of disenchantment. There is so much creative potential in Europe in the various fields of scientific research, some
of which have yet to be fully explored. We need only think, for example, of alternative sources of energy, the development of which will
assist in the protection of the environment.
Europe has always been in the
vanguard of efforts to promote ecology. Our earth needs constant concern and attention. Each of us has a
personal responsibility to care for
creation, this precious gift which
God has entrusted to us. This
means, on the one hand, that nature
is at our disposal, to enjoy and use
properly. Yet it also means that we
are not its masters. Stewards, but
not masters. We need to love and respect nature, but “instead we are often guided by the pride of dominating, possessing, manipulating, exploiting; we do not ‘preserve’ the
earth, we do not respect it, we do
not consider it as a freely-given gift
to look after”.11 Respect for the environment, however, means more
than not destroying it; it also means
using it for good purposes. I am
thinking above all of the agricultural
sector, which provides sustenance
and nourishment to our human family. It is intolerable that millions of
people around the world are dying
of hunger while tons of food are discarded each day from our tables.
Respect for nature also calls for recognizing that man himself is a fundamental part of it. Along with an
environmental ecology, there is also
need of that human ecology which
consists in respect for the person,
which I have wanted to emphasize
in addressing you today.
The second area in which people’s
talents flourish is labour. The time
has come to promote policies which
create employment, but above all
there is a need to restore dignity to
labour by ensuring proper working
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO
page 6
Friday, 28 November 2014, number 48
Address to the European Parliament
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
conditions. This implies, on the one
hand, finding new ways of joining
market flexibility with the need for
stability and security on the part of
workers; these are indispensable for
their human development. It also
implies favouring a suitable social
context geared not to the exploitation of persons, but to ensuring,
precisely through labour, their ability to create a family and educate
their children.
Likewise, there needs to be a
united response to the question of
migration. We cannot allow the
Mediterranean to become a vast
cemetery! The boats landing daily
on the shores of Europe are filled
with men and women who need acceptance and assistance. The absence of mutual support within the
European Union runs the risk of encouraging particularistic solutions to
the problem, solutions which fail to
take into account the human dignity
of immigrants, and thus contribute
to slave labour and continuing social
tensions. Europe will be able to confront the problems associated with
immigration only if it is capable of
clearly asserting its own cultural
identity and enacting adequate legislation to protect the rights of
European citizens and to ensure the
acceptance of immigrants. Only if it
is capable of adopting fair, courageous and realistic policies which
can assist the countries of origin in
their own social and political development and in their efforts to resolve internal conflicts — the principal cause of this phenomenon —
rather than adopting policies motivated by self-interest, which increase
and feed such conflicts. We need to
take action against the causes and
not only the effects.
Mr President, Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Awareness of one’s own identity is
also necessary for entering into a
positive dialogue with the States
which have asked to become part of
the Union in the future. I am thinking especially of those in the
Balkans, for which membership in
the European Union could be a response to the desire for peace in a
region which has suffered greatly
from past conflicts. Awareness of
one’s own identity is also indispensable for relations with other neighbouring countries, particularly with
those bordering the Mediterranean,
many of which suffer from internal
conflicts, the pressure of religious
fundamentalism and the reality of
global terrorism.
Upon you, as legislators, it is incumbent to protect and nurture
Europe’s identity, so that its citizens
can experience renewed confidence
in the institutions of the Union and
in its underlying project of peace
and friendship. Knowing that “the
more the power of men and women
increases, the greater is the personal
and collective responsibility”,12 I encourage you to work to make
Europe rediscover the best of itself.
An anonymous second-century author wrote that “Christians are to
the world what the soul is to the
body”.13 The function of the soul is
to support the body, to be its conscience and its historical memory. A
two-thousand-year-old history links
Europe and Christianity. It is a history not free of conflicts and errors,
and sins, but one constantly driven
by the desire to work for the good
of all. We see this in the beauty of
our cities, and even more in the
beauty of the many works of charity
and constructive human cooperation
throughout this continent. This history, in large part, must still be written. It is our present and our future.
It is our identity. Europe urgently
needs to recover its true features in
order to grow, as its founders intended, in peace and harmony, since it
is not yet free of conflicts.
Dear Members of the European
Parliament, the time has come to
work together in building a Europe
which revolves not around the economy, but around the sacredness of
the human person, around inalienable values. In building a Europe
which courageously embraces its
past and confidently looks to its future in order fully to experience the
hope of its present. The time has
come for us to abandon the idea of
a Europe which is fearful and self-
absorbed, in order to revive and encourage a Europe of leadership, a
repository of science, art, music, human values and faith as well. A
Europe which contemplates the
heavens and pursues lofty ideals. A
Europe which cares for, defends and
protects man, every man and woman. A Europe which bestrides the
earth surely and securely, a precious
On 23
November, the
Secretary of
State entrusted
the Pope’s visit
to the
intercession of
St Columbanus,
an Irish
missionary.
point of reference for all humanity!
Thank you!
1
John Paul II, Address to the
European Parliament (11 October
1988), 5.
2 John Paul II, Address to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe (8 October 1988), 3.
3 Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate, 7;
cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical
Council, Pastoral Constitution on
the Church in the Modern World
Gaudium et Spes, 26.
4 Cf. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 37.
5 Cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 55.
6 Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate, 71.
7 Ibid.
8 Cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 209.
9 Benedict XVI, Address to the Members of the Diplomatic Corps, (7 January 2013).
10 Evangelii Gaudium, 231.
11 Francis, General Audience, 5 June
2013.
12
Cf. Second Vatican Council,
Gaudium et Spes, 34.
13 Cf. Letter to Diognetus, 6.
Europe needs to dialogue
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3
go to Lourdes.... I’ve asked for a
city no pope has ever visited, to
meet those citizens. But no plans
have been made yet. No, regarding
Strasbourg, this was considered,
but going to the Cathedral would
have been considered a visit to
France. This was the problem.
Giacomo Galeazzi: I was struck, in
your speech to the Council of Europe,
by the concept of transversality, to
which you referred, and in particular,
you made reference to meetings you
have had with young politicians from
various countries, and you also spoke
of the need for a sort of pact among
the generations, an intergenerational
accord in addition to this transversality. Then, if I may, I am curious: is it
true that you are devoted to St
Joseph? And that you have a statue
in your room?
Yes! Always, whenever I’ve asked
St Joseph for something, it’s been
given to me. This fact of “transversality” is important. I’ve noticed in
dialogues with young politicians, in
the Vatican, especially from different parties and nations, that they
speak with a different music which
is inclined toward transversality: it
is a value! Without denying it, they
aren’t afraid to step outside of their
own ideology in order to dialogue.
They are brave! I think we have to
imitate this; and intergenerational
dialogue too. This going out in order to find people of other ideologies and dialoguing: Europe needs
this, today.
Alonso Martínez Javier Maria: In
your second address, the one to the
Council of Europe, you spoke of the
sins of the sons and daughters of the
Church. I would like to know how you
reacted to the news of this event in
Granada, which you have in some
way brought to light....
I received the letter sent to me, I
read it, called the person and said:
“Tomorrow, go to the bishop”; and
I wrote to the bishop to begin the
work, to investigate and to move
forward. How did I react to it?
With great sorrow, with the greatest
sorrow. But the truth is the truth,
and we must never hide it.
Andreas Englisch: In the speeches in
Strasbourg you spoke often of both the
terrorist threat and the threat of
slavery: these are also typical attitudes
of the Islamic State, which threatens
most of the Mediterranean, they also
threaten Rome and even you, personally. Do you think it is possible to engage in dialogue with these extremists,
or do you think this is a lost cause?
I never consider something a lost
cause, never. Perhaps it’s not possible to have a dialogue, but never
close this door. It’s difficult, you
can say “nearly impossible”, but the
door is always open. You used the
word “threat” twice. It’s true, terrorism is a reality that threatens....
But slavery is a reality woven into
the social fabric today, and for a
long time! Slave labour, human
trafficking, the trade of children...
it’s a tragedy! Let’s not close our
eyes to this! Slavery, today, is a
reality, the exploitation of people....
Then there is the threat of these
terrorists. But there is another
threat, too, State terrorism. When
such things arise, they escalate and
escalate and every State on its own
behalf feels it has the right to massacre terrorists, and with the terrorists so many die who are innocent.
This is a high level of anarchy
which is very dangerous. With terrorism one must fight, but I repeat
what I said in my previous trip:
when an unjust aggressor must be
stopped, it must be done with an
international consensus.
Caroline Pigozzi: I wanted to know
when traveling to Strasbourg whether
in your heart you were traveling as
Peter’s Successor, as the Bishop of
Rome, or as the Archbishop of Buenos
Aires....
Caroline’s very sharp.... I don’t
know, truly, I don’t know. Well... I
travel, I think, with all three things.
I’ve never asked myself that question. You’re making me think a
little! But no, really.... My memory
is that of the Archbishop of Buenos
Aires, but this is no longer the case.
Now I’m the Bishop of Rome and
Peter’s Successor, and I think I
travel with that memory but with
this reality: I travel with these
things. I am concerned about
Europe, at this time; it’s good to
help me move forward, and to do
so as the Bishop of Rome and
Peter’s Successor: there I’m a Roman.
Thank you so much for your
work! It has truly been a meaningful day. Thank you, thank you so
much. Don’t forget to pray for me.
Thank you.
Thank you. Enjoy your lunch.
number 48, Friday, 28 November 2014
L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO
page 7
To the Council of Europe in Strasbourg
Memory, courage
and utopia
In order “to progress towards the
future” we need “memory, courage, a
sound and humane utopian vision”, the
Holy Father emphasized in his address
to the representatives of the Council of
Europe in Strasbourg, on Tuesday, 25
November. The following is the English
text of the Pope’s address.
Mr Secretary General,
Madame President,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am happy to address this solemn
session which brings together a significant representation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe, representatives of member
States, the Judges of the European
Court of Human Rights as well as
the members of the various institutions which make up the Council of
Europe. Practically all of Europe is
present in this hall, with its peoples,
its languages, its cultural and religious expressions, all of which constitute the richness of this continent.
I am especially grateful to the Secretary General of the Council of
Europe, Mr Thorbjørn Jagland, for
his gracious invitation and for his
kind words of welcome. I greet Madame Anne Brasseur, President of
the Parliamentary Assembly. To all
of you I offer my heartfelt thanks
for your work and for your contribution to peace in Europe through the
promotion of democracy, human
rights and the rule of law.
This year the Council of Europe
celebrates its 65th anniversary. It was
the intention of its founders that the
Council would respond to a yearning for unity which, from antiquity,
has characterized the life of the continent. Frequently, however, in the
course of the centuries, the pretension to power has led to the dominance of particularist movements. We
need but consider the fact that, ten
years before the Treaty instituting
the Council of Europe was signed in
London (5 May 1949), there broke
out the most lethal and destructive
conflict in the memory of these
lands. The divisions it created long
continued, as the so-called Iron Curtain split the continent into two,
from the Baltic Sea to the Gulf of
Trieste. The dream of the founders
was to rebuild Europe in a spirit of
mutual service which today too, in a
world more prone to make demands
than to serve, must be the cornerstone of the Council of Europe’s
mission on behalf of peace, freedom
and human dignity.
The royal road to peace — and to
avoiding a repetition of what occurred in the two World Wars of the
last century — is to see others not as
enemies to be opposed but as brothers and sisters to be embraced. This
entails an ongoing process which
may never be considered fully completed. This is precisely what the
founders grasped. They understood
that peace was a good which must
continually be attained, one which
calls for constant vigilance. They
realized that wars arise from the effort to occupy spaces, to crystallize
ongoing processes and to attempt to
halt them. Instead, the founders
sought peace, which can be achieved
only when we are constantly open to
initiating processes and carrying
them forward.
Consequently, the founders voiced
their desire to advance slowly but
surely with the passage of time,
since is it is precisely time which
governs spaces, illumines them and
makes them links in a constantly expanding chain, with no possibility of
return. Building peace calls for giving priority to actions which generate new processes in society and engage other persons and groups, who
can then develop them to the point
where they bear fruit in significant
historical events.1
That is why the founders established this body as a permanent institution. Pope Paul VI, several years
later, had occasion to observe that
“the institutions which in the juridical order and in international society
have the task and merit of proclaiming and preserving peace, will attain
their lofty goal only if they remain
continually active, if they are capable of creating peace, making
peace, at every moment”.2 What is
called for is a constant work of humanization, for “it is not enough to
contain wars, to suspend conflicts....
An imposed peace, a utilitarian and
provisional peace, is not enough.
Progress must be made towards a
peace which is loved, free and
fraternal, founded, that is, on a reconciliation of hearts”;3 in other
words, to encourage processes
calmly, yet with clear convictions
and tenacity.
Achieving the good of peace first
calls for educating to peace, banishing a culture of conflict aimed at
fear of others, marginalizing those
who think or live differently than
ourselves. It is true that conflict cannot be ignored or concealed; it has
to be faced. But if it paralyzes us,
we lose perspective, our horizons
shrink and we grasp only a part of
reality. When we fail to move forward in a situation of conflict, we
lose our sense of the profound unity
of reality,4 we halt history and we
become enmeshed in useless disputes.
Tragically, peace continues all too
often to be violated. This is the case
in so many parts of the world where
conflicts of various sorts continue to
fester. It is also the case here in
Europe, where tensions continue to
exist. How great a toll of suffering
and death is still being exacted on
this continent, which yearns for
peace yet so easily falls back into the
temptations of the past! That is why
the efforts of the Council of Europe
to seek a political solution to current
crises is so significant and encouraging.
Yet peace is put to the test by
other forms of conflict, such as religious and international terrorism,
which displays deep disdain for human life and indiscriminately reaps
innocent victims. This phenomenon
is unfortunately bankrolled by a frequently
unchecked
traffic
in
weapons. The Church is convinced
that “the arms race is one of the
greatest curses on the human race
and the harm it inflicts on the poor
is more than can be endured”.5
Peace is also violated by trafficking
in human beings, the new slavery of
our age, which turns persons into
merchandise for trade and deprives its
victims of all dignity. Not infrequently we see how interconnected
these phenomena are. The Council
of Europe, through its Committees
and Expert Groups, has an important and significant role to play in
combating these forms of inhumanity.
This being said, peace is not
merely the absence of war, conflicts
and tensions. In the Christian vision, peace is at once a gift of God
and the fruit of free and reasonable
human acts aimed at pursuing the
common good in truth and love. “This
rational and moral order is based on
a conscientious decision by men and
women to seek harmony in their
mutual relationships, with respect
for justice for everyone”.6
How then do we pursue the ambitious goal of peace?
The path chosen by the Council
of Europe is above all that of promoting human rights, together with
the growth of democracy and the
rule of law. This is a particularly
valuable undertaking, with significant ethical and social implications,
since the development of our societies and their peaceful future coexistence depends on a correct understanding of these terms and constant
reflection on them. This reflection is
one of the great contributions which
Europe has offered, and continues
to offer, to the entire world.
In your presence today, then, I
feel obliged to stress the importance
of Europe’s continuing responsibility
to contribute to the cultural development of humanity. I would like to
do so by using an image drawn from
a 20th-century Italian poet, Clemente Rebora. In one of his poems,7
Rebora describes a poplar tree, its
branches reaching up to the sky,
buffeted by the wind, while its trunk
remains firmly planted on deep
roots sinking into the earth. In a
certain sense, we can consider
Europe in the light of this image.
Throughout its history, Europe
has always reached for the heights,
aiming at new and ambitious goals,
driven by an insatiable thirst for
knowledge, development, progress,
peace and unity. But the advance of
thought, culture, and scientific discovery is entirely due to the solidity
of the trunk and the depth of the
roots which nourish it. Once those
roots are lost, the trunk slowly withers from within and the branches —
once flourishing and erect — bow to
the earth and fall. This is perhaps
among the most baffling paradoxes
for a narrowly scientific mentality: in
order to progress towards the future
we need the past, we need profound
roots. We also need the courage not
to flee from the present and its challenges. We need memory, courage, a
sound and humane utopian vision.
Rebora notes, on the one hand,
that “the trunk sinks its roots where
it is most true”.8 The roots are nourished by truth, which is the sustenance, the vital lymph, of any society
which would be truly free, human
and fraternal. On the other hand,
truth appeals to conscience, which cannot be reduced to a form of conditioning. Conscience is capable of recognizing its own dignity and being
open to the absolute; it thus gives
rise to fundamental decisions guided
by the pursuit of the good, for others and for one’s self; it is itself the
locus of responsible freedom.9
It also needs to be kept in mind
that apart from the pursuit of truth,
each individual becomes the criterion for measuring himself and his
own actions. The way is thus
opened to a subjectivistic assertion
of rights, so that the concept of human rights, which has an intrinsically universal import, is replaced by
an individualistic conception of
rights. This leads to an effective lack
of concern for others and favours
that globalization of indifference born
of selfishness, the result of a conception of man incapable of embracing
the truth and living an authentic social dimension.
This kind of individualism leads
to human impoverishment and cultural aridity, since it effectively cuts
off the nourishing roots on which
the tree grows. Indifferent individualism leads to the cult of opulence reflected in the throwaway culture all
around us. We have a surfeit of unnecessary things, but we no longer
have the capacity to build authentic
human relationships marked by
truth and mutual respect. And so
today we are presented with the image of a Europe which is hurt, not
only by its many past ordeals, but
also by present-day crises which it
no longer seems capable of facing
with its former vitality and energy; a
Europe which is a bit tired and pessimistic, which feels besieged by
events and winds of change coming
from other continents.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO
page 8
Friday, 28 November 2014, number 48
To the Council of Europe in Strasbourg
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7
To Europe we can put the question: “Where is your vigour? Where
is that idealism which inspired and
ennobled your history? Where is
your spirit of curiosity and enterprise? Where is your thirst for truth,
a thirst which hitherto you have passionately shared with the world?
The future of the continent will
depend on the answer to these questions. Returning to Rebora’s image
of the tree, a trunk without roots
can continue to have the appearance
of life, even as it grows hollow within and eventually dies. Europe
should reflect on whether its immense human, artistic, technical, social, political, economic and religious patrimony is simply an artefact
of the past, or whether it is still capable of inspiring culture and displaying its treasures to mankind as a
whole. In providing an answer to
this question, the Council of Europe
with its institutions has a role of
primary importance.
I think particularly of the role of
the European Court of Human
Rights, which in some way represents the conscience of Europe with regard to those rights. I express my
hope that this conscience will continue to mature, not through a
simple consensus between parties,
but as the result of efforts to build
on those deep roots which are the
bases on which the founders of contemporary Europe determined to
build.
These roots need to be sought,
found and maintained by a daily exercise of memory, for they represent
the genetic patrimony of Europe. At
the same time there are present challenges facing the continent. These
summon us to continual creativity in
ensuring that the roots continue to
bear fruit today and in the realization of our vision for the future. Allow me to mention only two aspects
of this vision: the challenge of multipolarity and the challenge of transversality.
The history of Europe might lead
us to think somewhat naïvely of the
continent as bipolar, or at most tripolar (as in the ancient conception
of Rome-Byzantium-Moscow), and
thus to interpret the present and to
look to the future on the basis of
this schema, which is a simplification born of pretentions to power.
But this is not the case today, and
we can legitimately speak of a “multipolar” Europe. Its tensions —
whether constructive or divisive —
are situated between multiple cultural, religious and political poles.
Europe today confronts the challenge of “globalizing”, but in a creative way, this multipolarity. Nor are
cultures necessarily identified with
individual countries: some countries
have a variety of cultures and some
cultures are expressed in a variety of
countries. The same holds true for
political, religious, and social aggregations.
Creatively globalizing multipolarity, and I wish to stress this creativity, calls for striving to create a constructive harmony, one free of those
pretensions to power which, while
appearing from a pragmatic standpoint to make things easier, end up
destroying the cultural and religious
distinctiveness of peoples.
To speak of European multipolarity is to speak of peoples which are
born, grow and look to the future.
The task of globalizing Europe’s
multipolarity cannot be conceived
by appealing to the image of a
sphere — in which all is equal and
ordered, but proves reductive inasmuch as every point is equidistant
from the centre — but rather, by the
image of a polyhedron, in which the
harmonic unity of the whole preserves the particularity of each of the
parts. Today Europe is multipolar in
its relationships and its intentions; it
is impossible to imagine or to build
Europe without fully taking into account this multipolar reality.
The second challenge which I
would like to mention is transversality. Here I would begin with my own
experience: in my meetings with
political
leaders
from
various
European countries, I have observed
that the younger politicians view
reality differently than their older
colleagues. They may appear to be
saying the same things, but their approach is different. The lyrics are the
same but the music is different. This
is evident in younger politicians
from various parties. This empirical
fact points to a reality of present-day
Europe which cannot be overlooked
in efforts to unite the continent and
to guide its future: we need to take
into account this transversality encountered in every sector. To do so
requires engaging in dialogue, including intergenerational dialogue.
Were we to define the continent
today, we should speak of a Europe
in dialogue, one which puts a transversality of opinions and reflections
at the service of a harmonious union
of peoples.
To embark upon this path of
transversal communication requires
not only generational empathy, but
also an historic methodology of
growth. In Europe’s present political
situation, merely internal dialogue
between the organizations (whether
political, religious or cultural) to
which one belongs, ends up being
unproductive. Our times demand
the ability to break out of the structures which “contain” our identity
and to encounter others, for the sake
of making that identity more solid
and fruitful in the fraternal exchange
of transversality. A Europe which
can only dialogue with limited
groups stops halfway; it needs that
youthful spirit which can rise to the
challenge of transversality.
In light of all this, I am gratified
by the desire of the Council of
Europe to invest in intercultural dialogue, including its religious dimension, through the Exchange on the
Religious Dimension of Intercultural
Dialogue. Here is a valuable opportunity for open, respectful and enriching exchange between persons
and groups of different origins and
ethnic, linguistic and religious traditions, in a spirit of understanding
and mutual respect.
These meetings appear particularly important in the current multicultural and multipolar context, for
finding a distinctive physiognomy
capable of skilfully linking the
European identity forged over the
course of centuries to the expecta-
tions and aspirations of other
peoples who are now making their
appearance on the continent.
This way of thinking also casts
light on the contribution which
Christianity can offer to the cultural
and social development of Europe
today within the context of a correct
relationship between religion and society. In the Christian vision, faith
and reason, religion and society, are
called to enlighten and support one
another, and, whenever necessary, to
purify one another from ideological
extremes. European society as a
whole cannot fail to benefit from a
renewed interplay between these two
sectors, whether to confront a form
of religious fundamentalism which is
above all inimical to God, or to
remedy a reductive rationality which
does no honour to man.
There are in fact a number of
pressing issues which I am convinced can lead to mutual enrichment, issues on which the Catholic
Church — particularly through the
Council of Episcopal Conferences of
Europe (CCEE) — can cooperate with
the Council of Europe and offer an
essential contribution. First and
foremost there is, in view of what I
have said above, the area of ethical
reflection on human rights, which
your Organization is often called to
consider. I think in particular of the
issues linked to the protection of human life, sensitive issues that demand a careful study which takes into account the truth of the entire
human being, without being restricted to specific medical, scientific or
juridic aspects.
Similarly, the contemporary world
offers a number of other challenges
requiring careful study and a common commitment, beginning with
the welcoming of migrants, who immediately require the essentials of
subsistence, but more importantly a
recognition of their dignity as persons. Then too, there is the grave
problem of labour, chiefly because
of the high rate of young adults unemployed in many countries — a veritable mortgage on the future — but
also for the issue of the dignity of
work.
It is my profound hope that the
foundations will be laid for a new
social and economic cooperation,
free of ideological pressures, capable
of confronting a globalized world
while at the same time encouraging
that sense of solidarity and mutual
charity which has been a distinctive
feature of Europe, thanks to the
generous efforts of hundreds of men
and women — some of whom the
Catholic Church considers saints —
who over the centuries have worked
to develop the continent, both by
entrepreneurial activity and by works
of education, welfare, and human
promotion. These works, above all,
represent an important point of reference for the many poor people living in Europe. How many of them
there are in our streets! They ask not
only for the food they need for survival, which is the most elementary
of rights, but also for a renewed appreciation of the value of their own
life, which poverty obscures, and a
rediscovery of the dignity conferred
by work.
Finally, among the issues calling
for our reflection and our coopera-
tion is the defence of the environment, of this beloved planet earth.
It is the greatest resource which
God has given us and is at our disposal not to be disfigured, exploited, and degraded, but so that,
in the enjoyment of its boundless
beauty, we can live in this world
with dignity.
Mr Secretary General, Madame
President, Your Excellencies, Ladies
and Gentlemen, Pope Paul VI called
the Church an “expert in humanity”.10 In this world, following the
example of Christ and despite the
sins of her sons and daughters, the
Church seeks nothing other than to
serve and to bear witness to the
truth.11 This spirit alone guides us in
supporting the progress of humanity.
In this spirit, the Holy See intends to continue its cooperation
with the Council of Europe, which
today plays a fundamental role in
shaping the mentality of future generations of Europeans. This calls for
mutual engagement in a far-ranging
reflection aimed at creating a sort of
new agorá, in which all civic and religious groups can enter into free exchange, while respecting the separation of sectors and the diversity of
positions, an exchange inspired
purely by the desire of truth and the
advancement of the common good.
For culture is always born of reciprocal encounter which seeks to stimulate the intellectual riches and creativity of those who take part in it;
this is not only a good in itself, it is
also something beautiful. My hope
is that Europe, by rediscovering the
legacy of its history and the depth
of its roots, and by embracing its
lively multipolarity and the phenomenon of a transversality in dialogue, will rediscover that youthfulness of spirit which has made this
continent fruitful and great. Thank
you!
1
Cf. Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii
Gaudium, 223.
2 Paul VI, Message for the Eighth
World Day of Peace, 8 December
1974.
3 Ibid.
4 Cf. Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii
Gaudium, 226.
5 Catechism of the Catholic Church,
2329, and Second Vatican Council,
Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et
Spes, 81.
6 John Paul II, Message for the Fifteenth World Day of Peace, 8 December 1981, 4.
7 “The stern poplar / quivers with its
leaves in the wind; the soul convulses with its pains / in the anxiety
of thought: / from the trunk to the
leafy limbs / all stretched to the sky:
/ the trunk of the mystery is
anchored / and the trunk is rooted
where / the truth lies”: The Poplar
Tree, in: The Religious Sense, Luigi
Giussani, tr. John Zucchi, McGillQueen’s University Press, 1997, 117.
8 Cf. ibid.
9 Cf. John Paul II, Address to the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council
of Europe, Strasbourg, 8 October
1988, 4.
10 Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio, 13.
11 Cf. ibid
number 48, Friday, 28 November 2014
L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO
page 9
Pope Francis shows his care for those who struggle with Autism
A network of support and services
Remembering the first Cardinal president of the Dicastery for health care workers
On Saturday, 22 November, in the
Paul VI Hall, Pope Francis addressed
participants in the 29th International
Conference organized by the Pontifical
Council for Health Care Workers, this
year entitled: “The Person with Autism
Spectrum Disorders: Animating Hope”.
The following is a translation from the
Italian.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Thank you for your welcome!
I am happy to welcome you at the
end of your 29th International Conference and I thank you for wanting
to realize such a commendable and
worthy initiative, dedicated to the
complex issue of autism.
I warmly greet all of you who
have come to take part in this meeting, which focused on prayer and
testimony, together with people who
are affected by autism spectrum disorders, their families and specialized
associations.
Such disorders constitute a fragility that affects numerous children
and, consequently, their families.
They represent an area that directly
appeals to the governments and institutions, without of course forget-
ting the responsibility of Christian
communities.
Everyone should be committed to
promoting acceptance, encounter
and solidarity through concrete support and by encouraging renewed
hope, thereby contributing to overcome the isolation and, in many
cases, the stigma to which people
with autism spectrum disorders are
also subjected, and often their families too.
This must not be an anonymous
or impersonal accompaniment, but
one of listening to the profound
needs that arise from the depths of a
pathology which, all too often, is
difficult to diagnose, but — especially for the family — must be accepted without shame or withdrawal
into solitude. It is a cross.
In the realm of assistance to
people affected by autism spectrum
disorders, it would be beneficial to
create a regional network of support
and services which are comprehensive and accessible. In addition to
parents, these should also involve
grandparents, friends, therapists,
educators and pastoral workers.
These figures can help families overcome the feelings, which can some-
times arise, of inadequacy, helplessness and frustration.
For this reason, I thank the families, parish groups and various associations represented here today and
from whom we heard these moving
and meaningful testimonies, for the
work they carry out every day. I extend to all of them my personal
gratitude and that of the whole
Church.
Additionally, I would like to encourage the challenging work of the
academics and researchers, so that
they may discover, as soon as possible, treatments and instruments of
support and aid in order to heal
and, above all, to prevent the onset
of these disorders. All of this while
paying due attention to patients’
rights, their needs and their potential, always safeguarding the dignity
of every person.
Dear brothers and sisters, I entrust you all to the protection of the
Virgin Mary, and I thank you sincerely for your prayers. Now, all together, let us pray to the Blessed
Virgin Mary for all health care workers, for the sick, and then receive the
blessing. [Hail Mary... Blessing...]
Let us also now pray together for
the soul of Cardinal Angelini, the
Founder of this Council for health
care, who began this service of the
Church and whom the Lord called
to himself last night. [Our Father...
Hail Mary... Gloria Patri... Requiem
aeternam...].
Cardinal Fiorenzo Angelini dies at 98
When the Holy Father learned of Cardinal Fiorenzo Angelini’s death on
Saturday, 22 November, he sent a telegram to the Cardinal’s nephew. Cardinal
Angelini, who had died the night before, was 98 years old and had served
under seven popes. The following is a translation of the telegram which was
written in Italian.
Fiorenzo Angelini was born on 1 August 1916 in the Campo Marzio
neighbourhood of Rome. His parents were originally from Abruzzo
and emigrated to the United States.
However, they returned to Italy before Fiorenzo was born. He earned a
degree in philosophy at the Pontifical Lateran University and then another in theology with a specialization in mariology from the Pontifical
Theological Faculty Marianum. On
3 February 1940 he was ordained a
priest and began serving in parish
ministry. During this time, he gave
shelter to fugitives: Jews and others
sought during the war. He also organized a soup kitchen, serving up
to 2,000 hot meals every day.
While he was still a young priest
Pius XII called him to begin pastoral
ministry in the health care system of
Rome. And when, in the summer of
1943, Pope Pacelli brought comfort
and hope to the bombed city centre,
the young priest was there with the
people. In 1945 he was called to be
the chaplain for the men of Catholic
Having learned of the death of Venerated Cardinal Fiorenzo Angelini, I
desire to express my deepest condolences to his family, to the diocesan
community of Rome of which he was a distinguished son, and especially
to the Reparatrix Sisters of the Holy Face of Our Lord Jesus Christ. I
think with affection of this dear and esteemed pastor, who exercised his
long and intense ministry to build up the Church in Rome, in Italy and in
the world, first as part of Catholic Action, then with praiseworthy apostolic zeal in hospitals and nursing homes in Rome, and finally as President of
the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Care of Health Care Workers. I raise
fervent prayers to the Lord, so that, through the intercession of the
Blessed Virgin Mary Salus Populi Romani, that He may welcome this her
generous servant and honourable man of the Church in joy and eternal
peace. I impart the comfort of an Apostolic Blessing from my heart to all
those who mourn his passing.
FRANCISCUS
PP.
A telegram was likewise sent by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State.
Action. During that same time he
taught religion in public schools and
assisted with the organization of
papal ceremonies.
Then on 15 September 1955,
through an Apostolic Brief, Pius XII
appointed him Commendatore of the
Holy Spirit — an honorary title with
regard to assisting the sick of Rome
— and on 27 June 1956 he was appointed titular Bishop of Messene.
He was ordained a bishop on 29 July of the same year. In 1957 he was
appointed consultant to the Italian
Episcopal Conference for politics. In
1959 he founded the Association of
Italian Catholic Doctors, becoming
the national chaplain. He continued
working in the health care system
during the pontificate of Paul VI.
On 6 January 1977 he became
auxiliary bishop of health pastoral
care for the Diocese of Rome. On 16
February 1985 John Paul II appointed him archbishop and the first
pro-president of the Pontifical Commission for the Pastoral Care of
Health Care Workers. During his
time as president, he worked to
“place the suffering man at the
centre of health care”, in favour of
dialogue between the scientific and
academic worlds. He wrote more
than 400 articles on medical ethics
and social health assistance.
On 1 March 1989, after the
Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus
entered into force, he became president of the Pontifical Council for
Pastoral Care of Health Care Workers. It was his idea to create the
World Day for the Sick, which was
accepted by John Paul II on 13 May
1992. In his 12 years as president of
the Council, he visited 64 countries
on 5 continents. He resigned as
president of the Council on 31 January 1996. In 1997 he founded the International Institute for Research on
the Face of Christ, together with the
Benedictine Congregation of the Reparatrix Sisters of the Holy Face of
Our Lord Jesus Christ. He was created a cardinal in the consistory of
28 June 1991 and was given the deaconry of Santo Spirito in Sassia. In
1998 he embarked on an extended
mission in Africa, returning only 2
years ago.
Cardinal Angelini was a leader
and a testament to the Church’s
commitment to helping the sick. He
worked for many years with passion
and the spirit of dedication in his
service to the Apostolic See.
The cardinal’s funeral was celebrated by Cardinal Dean Angelo
Sodano on Monday, 24 November,
in the Vatican Basilica. At the end
of the funeral, Pope Francis
presided at the rite of ultima commendatio and of valedictio.
L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO
number 48, Friday, 28 November 2014
page 10/11
On the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe the Pope proclaims six new saints
The pastors and the hirelings
“Those of us who are called to be pastors in the Church cannot stray” from the model to
which Jesus points “if we do not want to become hirelings”. Pope Francis recalled this
in St Peter’s Square on Sunday morning, 23 November, Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus
Christ, King of the Universe, at the Mass celebrating the canonization of Giovanni
Antonio Farina, Kuriakose Elias Chavara of the Holy Family, Ludovico da Casoria,
Nicola da Longobardi, Euphrasia Eluvathingal of the Sacred Heart, and Amato
Ronconi. “Their preference for the smallest and poorest,” the Pope said in his homily,
“was the reflection and measure of their unconditional love of God”. The following is the
English text of the Holy Father’s homily.
Today’s liturgy invites us to fix our
gaze on Christ, the King of the Universe. The beautiful prayer of the Preface reminds us that his kingdom is “a
kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom
of holiness and grace, a kingdom of
justice, love and peace”. The readings
we have listened to show us how Jesus
established his kingdom; how he brings
it about in history; and what he now
asks of us.
or of our souls” (cf. Heb 13:20; 1 Pt
2:25).
Those of us who are called to be
pastors in the Church cannot stray
from this example, if we do not want
to become hirelings. In this regard the
People of God have an unerring sense
for recognizing good shepherds and in
distinguishing them from hirelings.
After his victory, that is after his Resurrection, how has
Jesus advanced his
kingdom?
The
Apostle Paul, in the
First Letter to the
Corinthians, says:
“for he must reign
until he has put all
his enemies under
his feet” (15:25).
The Father, little
by little, subjects
all to the Son and,
at the same time,
the Son subjects all
to the Father, including even himself in the end. Jesus is not a King
according
to
earthly ways: for
him, to reign is not
to command, but
to obey the Father,
to give himself over
to the Father, so
that his plan of
love and salvation
may be brought to
fulfilment. In this
way there is full reciprocity between
First, how Jesus brought about his the Father and the Son. The period of
kingdom: he did so through his close- Christ’s reign is the long period of subness and tenderness towards us. He is jecting everything to the Son and conthe Shepherd, of whom the Prophet signing everything to the Father. “The
Ezekiel spoke in the First Reading (cf. last enemy to be destroyed is death” (1
34:11-12, 15-17). These verses are inter- Cor 15:26). And in the end, when all
woven with verbs which show the care things will be under the sovereignty of
Jesus, and everything, including Jesus himself, will be sub“Pastors in the Church cannot stray
jected to the Father, God will
from this example, if we do not want to be all in all (cf. 1 Cor 15:28).
The Gospel teaches what Jebecome hirelings. In this regard the
sus’ kingdom requires of us: it rePeople of God have an unerring sense
minds us that closeness and
tenderness are the rule of life
for recognizing good shepherds and in
for us also, and that on this
distinguishing them from hirelings”
basis we will be judged. This
is how we will be judged. This
is the great parable of the final
and love that the Shepherd has for his judgement in Matthew 25. The King
flock: to search, to look over, to gather says: “Come, O blessed of my Father,
the dispersed, to lead into pasture, to inherit the kingdom prepared for you
bring to rest, to seek the lost sheep, to from the foundation of the world; for I
was hungry and you gave me food, I
lead back the confused, to bandage the
was thirsty and you gave me drink, I
wounded, to heal the sick, to take care was a stranger and you welcomed me, I
of, to pasture. All of these are fulfilled was naked and you clothed me, I was
in Jesus Christ: he is truly the “great sick and you visited me, I was in prisShepherd of the sheep and the protect- on and you came to me” (25:34-36).
The righteous will ask him: when did
we do all this? And he will answer
them: “Truly, I say to you, as you did it
to one of the least of these my
brethren, you did it to me” (Mt 25:40).
The starting point of salvation is not
the confession of the sovereignty of
Christ, but rather the imitation of Jesus’ works of mercy through which he
brought about his kingdom. The one
who accomplishes these works shows
that he has welcomed Christ’s sovereignty, because he has opened his heart
to God’s charity. In the twilight of life
we will be judged on our love for,
the example of these new saints. Each
in his or her own way served the kingdom of God, of which they became
heirs, precisely through works of generous devotion to God and their brothers
and sisters. They responded with extraordinary creativity to the commandment of love of God and neighbour.
They dedicated themselves, without
holding back, to serving the least and
assisting the destitute, sick, elderly and
pilgrims. Their preference for the smallest and poorest was the reflection and
measure of their unconditional love of
God. In fact, they sought and discovered love in a strong and personal
relationship with God,
from whence springs
“Today the Church places before us the
forth true love for one’s
neighbour. In the hour
example of these new saints. Each in his or
of judgement, therefore,
her own way served the kingdom of God, of
they heard that tender
invitation: “Come, O
which they became heirs, precisely through
blessed of my Father, inworks of generous devotion to God and their
herit the kingdom prebrothers and sisters”
pared for you from the
foundation of the world”
(Mt 25:34).
Through the rite of canonization, we
closeness to and tenderness towards
our brothers and sisters. Upon this will have confessed once again the mystery
depend our entry into, or exclusion of God’s kingdom and we have honfrom, the kingdom of God: our be- oured Christ the King, the Shepherd
longing to the one side or the other. full of love for his sheep. May our new
Through his victory, Jesus has opened saints, through their witness and interto us his kingdom. But it is for us to cession, increase within us the joy of
enter into it, beginning with our life walking in the way of the Gospel and
now — his kingdom begins now — by our resolve to embrace the Gospel as
being close in concrete ways to our the compass of our lives. Let us follow
in their footsteps, imitating their faith
brothers and sisters who ask for bread,
and love, so that our hope too may be
clothing, acceptance, solidarity, catclothed in immortality. May we not alechesis. If we truly love them, we will low ourselves to be distracted by other
be willing to share with them what is earthly and fleeting interests. And may
most precious to us, Jesus himself and Mary, our Mother and Queen of all
his Gospel.
Saints, guide us on the way to the
Today the Church places before us kingdom of heaven.
At the Angelus
Cooperation for the
common good
At the end of Mass on Sunday, 23 November, the Holy Father turned again to the
example of the new saints in his brief reflection after praying the Angelus with the
faithful in St Peter’s Square. The following is a translation of the Pope’s words,
which were given in Italian.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
At the end of this celebration, I wish
to greet all of you who have come to
pay tribute to these new saints, especially the official delegations from
Italy and India.
The example of these four Italian
saints, born in the Provinces of Vicenza, Naples, Cosenza and Rimini,
aids the dear people of Italy to renew
the spirit of cooperation and concord
for the common good and to look to
the future with hope, trusting in the
nearness of God, who never abandons
us, even in moments of difficulty.
For the intercession of the two Indian saints from Kerala, great land of
faith and vocations to the priesthood
and religious life, may the Lord grant
new missionary drive to the Church
in India — that is so good! — so that,
inspired by their example of concord
and reconciliation, the Christians of
India may continue on the path of
solidarity and fraternal coexistence.
I affectionately greet the cardinals,
bishops, priests, as well as the families, parish groups, associations and
schools present. With filial love, let us
turn now to the Virgin Mary, Mother
of the Church, Queen of the Saints
and model for all Christians.
I wish you a happy Sunday, in
peace and with the joy of these new
saints. I ask you to please pray for
me. Have a good lunch and arrivederci!
A prelude to the Year of Consecrated Life
The canonization could not have been
a better prelude to the Year of
Consecrated Life, which will begin
next week. Pope Francis, who
announced the Year, proclaimed six
new saints on Sunday morning, all of
whom were founders or members of
religious congregations. Giovanni
Antonio Farina, Kuriakose Elias
Chavara and Ludovico da Casoria were
founders of congregations, while
Nicola da Longobardi, Euphrasia
Eluvathingal of the Sacred Heart and
Amato Ronconi were men and women
religious. In fact Kuriakose Elias
Chavara founded the congregation of
which Euphrasia Eluvathingal of the
Sacred Heart was a member.
It was a particularly festive celebration
for the people of Italy and India, the
homelands of all six saints.
Approximately 8,000 faithful made the
long journey from India to witness the
canonization, in large part members
from the Syro-Malabar Church, and to
participate in a celebration on Saturday
evening at the Basilica of St Mary
Major, presided by Cardinal Leonardo
Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for
Eastern Churches. In his homily,
Cardinal Sandri underlined the
urgency for a rebirth of vocations in
the Church of Kerala.
Pope Francis concelebrated the Mass
with 23 cardinals, about 30 bishops and
40 priests, including: Cardinal
Crescenzio Sepe, Archbishop of
Naples; Archbishop Salvatore Nunnari
of Cosenza-Bisignano; Archbishop
Joseph Perumthottam of the Eparchy
of Changanacherry; Archbishop
Andrews Thazhath of the Eparchy of
Trichur; Bishop Francesco Lambiasi of
Rimini; and Bishop Beniamino Pizziol
of Vicenza. The official delegations
were led by Italy’s Minister for the
Environment and Protection of the
Territory and by P. J. Kurien, President
of the Indian Parliament. At the end of
the celebration, the Pope recited the
Angelus and imparted the final
blessing.
Audience on Monday with the Indian faithful in Rome for the canonizations
A lesson for evangelical living
Pope Francis spoke about how Fr
Kuriakose Elias Chavara and Sr
Euphrasia Eluvathingal offer us “lessons
of evangelical living”. On Monday, 24
November, in the Vatican Basilica, the
Holy Father underlined this to a group of
pilgrims from India who came to Rome
for the canonizations the previous day. The
following is the English text of the Pope’s
address.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I am pleased to join you in giving
thanks to the Lord for the canonization
of two new Indian saints, both from
the State of Kerala. I take this opportunity to thank the Church in India,
the Church in Kerala, for all its
apostolic vigour and for your witness
to the Faith! My heartfelt gratitude!
Keep up the good work! Kerala is rich
in vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Continue on this path, working through your witness. I thank Cardinal George Alencherry, the Bishops,
priests, men and women religious, and
each of you, dear brothers and sisters
of the Syro-Malabar rite. I remember
in a special way the Cardinal of the
Syro-Malankara rite: thank you! Did
you know that your Syro-Malankar
Cardinal is the youngest member of the
College of Cardinals?
You have come to Rome in great
numbers on this very important occasion, and have been able to live days of
faith and ecclesial communion, praying
also at the tombs of the Apostles. May
this time of celebration and intense
spirituality help you to contemplate the
marvellous works accomplished by the
Lord in the lives and deeds of these
new saints.
Fr Kuriakose Elias
Chavara and Sr Euphrasia
Eluvathingal,
who was a member of
the religious Institute
founded by him, remind
each of us that God’s
love is the source, the
support and the goal of
all holiness, while love of
neighbour is the clearest
manifestation of love for
God. Fr Kuriakose Elias
was a religious, both active and contemplative,
who generously gave his
life for the Syro-Malabar
Church, putting into action the maxim “sanctification of oneself and the salvation of
others”. For her part, Sr Euphrasia
lived in profound union with God so
much so that her life of holiness was an
example and an encouragement to the
people, who called her “Praying Moth-
er”. There are many consecrated religious here today, especially consecrated
women. May you also may be known
as “Praying Sisters”.
Dear brothers and sisters, may these
new saints help you to treasure their
lessons of evangelical living. Follow in
their footsteps and imitate them, in a
particular way, through love of Jesus in
the Eucharist and love of the Church.
Thus you will advance along the path
to holiness. With this hope and the assurance of my prayers, I impart to each
of you and to all your loved ones my
Apostolic Blessing. Thank you!
L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO
page 12
Friday, 28 November 2014, number 48
Biographies of the new saints
Giovanni Antonio Farina
Giovanni Antonio Farina was born
in Vicenza, Italy, on 11 January 1803.
He entered the episcopal seminary
in Vicenza at 15 and was an outstanding student. On 14 January
1827 he was ordained a priest. After
his ordination he taught in the seminary and in public schools, and
served in parish ministry. In 1836 he
founded the Institute of the Teaching Sisters of St Dorothy, Daughters
of the Sacred Hearts, for the education of poor, deaf and blind girls,
and for the care of the elderly and
infirm. Known as a man of charity,
in 1850 he was appointed Bishop of
Treviso, where he served for a decade, before being transferred in 1860
to Vicenza, where he remained for
28 years, until his death. He became
known as “the bishop of the poor”
and was involved with the formation
of the clergy. He reorganized the
schools of Christian doctrine and
promoted the Catholic press. In
1869 he took part in the First Vatican Council, where he upheld papal
infallibility, supporting the requests
for the definition of the dogma.
His final years were marked by
various forms of recognition for his
apostolic activity and his great charity. He died on 4 March 1888, having had a profound impact on the
diocese by his pastoral zeal and the
works of charity carried out by the
Sisters of his Institute. He was beatified by John Paul II on 4 November 2001.
Kuriakose Elias Chavara
Kuriakose Elias Chavara of the Holy
Family, son of Kuriakose and Mariam, was born in Kainakary, India,
on 10 February 1805. He is considered a pioneer for his contribution to the growth of society and the
Syro-Malabar Church. His devout
mother had a decisive influence on
his spiritual formation, particularly
with regard to devotion to the Holy
Family. He entered the seminary in
1818 and was ordained a priest on 29
November 1829. He founded two religious congregations: in 1831 he established the men’s congregation of
Carmelites of Mary Immaculate and
in 1866, with Fr Leopoldo Beccaro,
O CD, he founded the first indigenous women’s congregation of the
Third Order Discalced Carmelites
for the education and encouragement of women’s activities and their
spiritual care. On 8 December 1855,
he made his religious profession of
the evangelical counsels, and guided
the Congregation as its Superior
General until his death.
His life was devoted to the service
of the Syro-Malabar Church. He
was the first vicar general of that
Church in the Diocese of Verapoli,
and he laboured to impede the
threat of a schism.
He also authored a number of
spiritual, liturgical and poetic works.
His work, Testament of a Loving
Father, made him the patron of the
family. Chavara was an active and
contemplative religious. He died on
3 January 1871 at the age of 66 and
was buried at Koonammavu; on 4
May 1889 his remains were transferred and reinterred in the chapel
of the monastery of St Joseph, the
Motherhouse at Mannanam. He was
beatified by John Paul II on 8 February 1986.
Christian formation of African children who had been sold as slaves,
with the hope of awakening missionary vocations for that continent. To
support these charitable works, he
then founded two religious congregations: the Brothers of Charity
(1859), now extinct, and the Franciscan Sisters of St Elizabeth (1862).
Zeal for the evangelization of Africa
impelled him to travel to the missionary station of Scellal. In 1871 he
opened a house in Assisi for the
blind and the deaf.
He died at the Marine Hospice in
Posillipo, Italy, on 30 March 1885,
with an outstanding reputation for
holiness. He was beatified by John
Paul II on 18 April 1993.
Nicola da Longobardi
Nicola da Longobardi was born
Giovanni Battista Clemente Saggio
on 6 January 1650 in Longobardi,
Italy. The son of Fulvio Saggio and
Aurelia Pizzini, he joined the secular
branch of the Minim Fathers of St
Francis of Paola in 1668 and, several
years later, he entered the protoconvent in Paola as an oblate religious.
Ludovico da Casoria
Ludovico da Casoria was born Arcangelo Palmentieri in Casoria, near
Naples, on 11 March 1814. In 1832 he
took the Franciscan habit and was
given the name Ludovico. Ordained
a priest in 1837, he devoted himself
to study and teaching. In 1847, following a profound mystical experience which he referred to as a
“cleansing”, he devoted himself completely to the service of the poor. At
first he cared for fellow friars who
were ill, establishing the infirmary of
“La Palma”. In 1854 he founded the
Opera dei Moretti for the ransom and
On 29 September 1671 he professed
his vows with the Minims.
He lived in various communities,
where he carried out the most
humble tasks in a devout and edifying manner. At the same time he
gave catechism lessons which were
greatly appreciated by children and
parents alike. He had a special love
for the poor and the infirm, assisting
them both spiritually and materially
out of a conviction that in them the
Lord Jesus is hidden and present.
He had frequent mystical experiences. In January of 1709 he offered
himself as a victim for the Church,
in order to avert the threat of a new
“sack” of Rome. On 3 February
1709, after receiving the last sacraments, he kissed the crucifix and fell
asleep in the Lord. His reputation
for holiness has continued through
the centuries. He was beatified by
Pius VI on 17 September 1786.
toor, India. She was baptized with
the name Rose and dedicated her
virginity to God at the age of nine
years at the behest of the Virgin
Mary; she became a postulant on 10
May 1897 at the age of 20, and received the name Euphrasia of the
Sacred Heart of Jesus. After taking
the habit in 1898, on 24 May 1900
Sr Euphrasia made her religious
vows in the Congregation of the Sisters of the Mother of Carmel, whose
founders included St Kuriakose Elias Chavara.
Her spiritual letters illustrate her
profound spirituality and her union
with God, as well as her extraordinary mystical experiences. Her austere
and holy life made her an example
to all. She was very devoted to the
Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Blessed
Sacrament, the crucified Saviour and
the Virgin Mary. The people of Ollur, seeing her constantly praying at
the shrine there, used to call her
“the Prayerful Mother”. Observing
the peace and serenity which her
face radiated, the Sisters used to call
her “the Moving Tabernacle”. She
died on 29 August 1952, aged 75.
Her remains were placed in the nave
of the chapel of the Convent of St
Mary in Ollur. She was beatified on
3 December 2006.
Amato Ronconi
Amato Ronconi was born in the
year 1226 at Saludecio, to Felice, of
the house of Ronconi, and his wife
Santa. Orphaned at a young age, he
spent his early years with his brother’s family. From his youth, Amato
determined to live an evangelical life
Euphrasia Eluvathingal
Euphrasia Eluvathingal of the Sacred Heart was born on 17 October
1877 to an aristocratic family in Kat-
CONTINUED ON PAGE 13
number 48, Friday, 28 November 2014
L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO
page 13
Pope Francis calls for the building of a society that is inclusive, creative and respectful of human dignity
No one is a foreigner
The Church is the place of hope between uprootedness and integration
“The Church, beyond being a
community of the faithful that sees the
face of Jesus Christ in its neighbour, is
a Mother without limits and without
frontiers”, where “no one is a stranger
and, therefore, everyone is worthy of
being welcomed and supported”. With
these words the Holy Father addressed
the participants of the Seventh World
Congress for the Pastoral Care of
Migrants, on Thursday, 21 November,
in the Clementine Hall. The following
is the English text of the Pope’s
address.
Your Eminences,
Brother Bishops and Priests,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
1. I am pleased to be with you at the
conclusion of this Congress. I greet
the President, Cardinal Vegliò,
thanking him for his kind words of
introduction, and I also extend a
fraternal welcome to the delegates
from other Churches and Communities. To all of you I express my
sincere appreciation for your commitment to and solicitude for the
men and women who even today are
undertaking the “journey of hope”
on the path of migration. I thank
you for all that you are doing. I assure you, and all those whom you
seek to help, of my spiritual closeness.
2. The final Document from your
last meeting five years ago affirmed
that “migration is ... an invitation to
imagine a different future, which
seeks the development of the whole
human race; this includes then every
human being with his or her spiritual and cultural potential and contribution to a more equitable world
marked by global solidarity and by
full respect for human dignity and
life” (n. 3). Today, notwithstanding
new developments and the emergence of situations which are at
times painful and even tragic, migration is still an aspiration to hope.
Above all in areas of the world in
difficulty, where the lack of work
prevents individuals and their families from achieving a dignified life,
there is a strong drive to seek a better future wherever that may be,
even at the risk of disappointment
and failure. This is caused in great
part by the economic crisis which, to
different degrees, is affecting every
country in the world.
3. Your meeting has highlighted
the dynamics of cooperation and development in the pastoral care of
migrants. First and foremost you
have analyzed the factors which
cause migration, in particular: inequality, poverty, overpopulation,
the growing need for employment in
some sectors of the global job market, disasters caused by climate
change, wars and persecution, and
the desire of younger people to relocate as they seek new opportunities.
Moreover, the link between cooperation and development shows, on the
one hand, the difference of interests
between states and migrants, and,
on the other hand, the opportunities
Jacob Lawrence, “Migration” (1941)
which derive for both. In effect, receiving nations draw advantages
from employing immigrants for production needs and national prosperity, not infrequently filling gaps created by the demographic crisis. In
turn, the nations which migrants
leave show a certain reduction in unemployment and, above all, benefit
from earnings which are then sent
back to meet the needs of families
which remain in the country. Emigrants, in the end, are able to fulfil
the desire for a better future for
themselves and their families. Yet we
know that some problems also accompany these benefits. We find in
the countries of origin, among other
things, an impoverishment due to
the so-called “brain drain”, the effects on infants and young people
who grow up without one or both
parents, and the risk of marriages
failing due to prolonged absences.
In the receiving nations, we also see
difficulties associated with migrants
settling in urban neighbourhoods
which are already problematic, as
well as their difficulties in integrating and learning to respect the social and cultural conventions which
they find. In this regard, pastoral
workers play an important role
through initiating dialogue, welcoming and assisting with legal issues,
mediating with the local population.
In the countries of origin, on the
other hand, the closeness of pastoral
workers to the families and children
of migrant parents can lessen the
negative repercussions of the parents’ absence.
4. Your reflections, however, have
wanted to go even further, to grasp
the implications of the Church’s pastoral concern in the encounter
between cooperation, development
and migration. It is here that the
Church has much to say. The Christian community, in fact, is continuously engaged in welcoming migrants and sharing with them God’s
gifts, in particular the gift of faith.
The Church promotes pastoral plans
for the evangelization and support
of migrants throughout their journey
from their country of origin, through
countries of transit, to the receiving
countries. She gives particular attention to meeting the spiritual needs
of migrants through catechesis,
Biographies
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12
in the true Franciscan spirit. He
frequently visited a small religious
community founded by St Francis
on Mount Formosino, between
Castello di Montegridolfo and
Mondaino. Francis of Assisi became his inspiration for a life of
penance and charity. To follow
Francis more closely, he chose to
enrol in the Franciscan Third Order. He lived with his sister
Chiara in the house of Monte
Orciaro which his older brother
Girolamo had granted them as
part of his paternal inheritance.
Amato’s home, located along the
road which led from Rimini,
passing through Urbino, and
then on to Rome, became a hospice for the many pilgrims who
sought hospitality. Amato received them and provided them
refreshment. He worked in the
fields, which furnished him with
the means necessary to support
the hospice and assist the poor.
Today too, this institution, now a
home for the elderly, carries on
Bro. Amato’s spirit of practical
charity towards the poor and pilgrims. Amato also undertook
long pilgrimages; he journeyed to
Rome and on four occasions to
Santiago de Campostela.
On 10 January 1292 Bro. Amato divested himself of all his
possessions and gave all his
goods to the monks of St Benedict, so that they could continue
his work. He died in his cell on 8
May 1292. He was beatified by
Pius VI on 17 March 1776.
liturgy and the celebration of the
Sacraments.
5. Sadly, migrants often experience disappointment, distress and
loneliness and, I would add, of marginalization. In effect, the migrant
worker has to deal with the problem
both of being uprooted and needing
to integrate. Here the Church also
seeks to be a source of hope: she develops programs of education and
orientation; she raises her voice in
defence of migrants’ rights; she offers assistance, including material assistance to everyone, without exception, so that all may be treated as
children of God. When encountering migrants, it is important to adopt an integrated perspective, capable of valuing their potential rather
than seeing them only as a problem
to be confronted and resolved. The
authentic right to development regards every person and all people,
viewed integrally. This demands that
all people be guaranteed a minimal
level of participation in the life of
the human community. How much
more necessary must this be in the
case of the Christian community,
where no one is a stranger and,
therefore, everyone is worthy of being welcomed and supported.
6. The Church, beyond being a
community of the faithful that sees
the face of Jesus Christ in its neighbour, is a Mother without limits and
without frontiers. She is the Mother
of all and so she strives to foster the
culture of welcome and solidarity,
where no one is considered useless,
out of place or disposable. I wrote
of this in my Message for the World
Day of Migrants and Refugees this
year: “It is less the criteria of efficiency, productivity, social class, or
ethnic or religious belonging which
ground that personal dignity, so
much as the fact of being created in
God’s own image and likeness (cf.
Gen 1:26-27) and, even more so, being children of God. Every human
being is a child of God! He or she
bears the image of Christ!”. He is
Christ. Migrants, therefore, by virtue
of their very humanity, even prior to
their cultural values, widen the sense
of human fraternity. At the same
time, their presence is a reminder of
the need to eradicate inequality, injustice and abuses. In that way, migrants will be able to become partners in constructing a richer identity
for the communities which provide
them hospitality, as well as the
people who welcome them, prompting the development of a society
which is inclusive, creative and respectful of the dignity of all.
Dear brothers and sisters, I wish
to renew my gratitude for the service
which you give to the Church and
to the communities and societies to
which you belong. I invoke upon
you the protection of Mary, the
Mother of God, and St Joseph, who
themselves experienced the difficulty
of exile in Egypt. I assure you of my
prayers and I ask you to pray for
me. To all of you I willingly impart
my blessing. Thank you
L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO
page 14
Friday, 28 November 2014, number 48
Courage and heroism in the history of the Church in Australia
A place of importance on the map
D OMINIQUE MAMBERTI
hen I go to my office every
day in the Vatican, I pass by a
large world map just outside the entrance to what is now the Secretariat
of State. The map was frescoed at
the end of the 16th century and depicts the world as it was known to
Europeans at the time. Unfortunately, there is a major omission,
namely Australia, which was then
unknown. However, I am pleased to
confirm that since then, Australia
has well and truly found its place on
the map!
We are here today to celebrate the
centenary of the Apostolic Delegation and the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations. However, the history of the Catholic Church in this
country is much older. It is an inspiring story of heroic sacrifice and
courageous endeavour, in the face of
hardship and difficulties of all kinds.
Since the arrival of the First Fleet in
1788, the Catholic Church has been
present in a stable way in Australia.
That same year, when the French explorer Jean-François de la Pérouse
entered Botany Bay, the first Mass
was celebrated on Australian soil.
The first resident Catholics were
mostly Irish convicts, together with
a few marines. It was not until 1800
that the first priests arrived in Australia, as convicts. Three years later,
one of these, Fr James Dixon, who
had been involved in the 1798 rising
in Ireland, was given permission to
say Mass for the
Catholics of Sydney,
Liverpool and Parramatta, a practice
that continued until
the Castle Hill rebellion of the following year, which
so alarmed Governor King that he
withdrew Fr Dixon’s
privileges. With the
arrival in 1820 of Fr
John Joseph Therry
and Fr Philip Connolly, chaplains appointed by the London
Government,
the Catholic Church
in Australia could be regarded as
formally established. Fr Therry, who
came from Cork in Ireland, was responsible for initiating the building
of St Mary’s Chapel in Sydney,
which would later become the magnificent Cathedral that we know
today.
In the early years, there was no
bishop in Australia and the spiritual
needs of the Catholic population
were met by priests. In 1834, the Benedictine priest John Bede Polding
was appointed Vicar Apostolic of
New Holland and in 1842 he became Australia’s first Archbishop,
when Sydney was erected as a Metropolitan See. During the course of
the 19th century, the Catholic population grew, the hierarchy was established, priests and religious men and
women came mainly from Ireland
and other European countries to
minister to the faithful and develop
schools and other social services.
W
In this regard, among the many
heroic people who could be mentioned, I would like to recall the
contribution of two extraordinary
women: Catherine Chisholm and
Mary
MacKillop.
Catherine
Chisholm from Northampton in
England, worked tirelessly to help
thousands of migrants, especially
homeless girls and poor families,
during Australia’s formative years.
In doing so, she had to overcome
sectarian suspicion and the lack of
material resources. Her human qualities and unconquerable faith helped
her to achieve much during the 30
years she devoted to assisting migrants, thus earning her the undying
gratitude of the Australian people.
The story of St Mary of the Cross
MacKillop, foundress of the Sisters
of St Joseph and Australia’s first
saint, is well known to all of you.
She was beatified here in Sydney by
Pope John Paul II in 1995 and canonised by Pope Benedict XVI in
Rome in 2010. Her example of zeal,
perseverance and prayer will undoubtedly continue to guide and inspire those who dedicate themselves
to the noble task of educating the
young and assisting the most disad-
These have brought with them their
distinctive ways of living and celebrating their faith, thus joining the
indigenous population and the descendents of the first Europeans to
make the Church in Australia the vibrant, dynamic and varied reality
that it is today.
Turning to the relations between
Australia and the Holy See, this year
marks the Centenary of the Apostolic Delegation to Australasia. On 15
April 1914, Pope Pius X established
the Apostolic Delegation, with responsibility for Australia, Tasmania
and New Zealand, and appointed
the future Cardinal Bonaventura
Cerretti as the first Apostolic Delegate. In this way, the Holy Father
wished to express his closeness to
the
Australian
people
and
strengthen the bonds which unite
the Catholic faithful to the See of
Peter.
In time the presence of the Delegation led to the establishment of
formal diplomatic relations between
Australia and the Holy See. An important contribution which resulted
in this welcome development was
the short pastoral visit which Pope
Paul VI made to Sydney in 1970.
This visit, the first of a Pope to Australia, signalled the beginning of a
new phase of closer relations. Three
years later, on 24 March 1973, the
decision to establish diplomatic relations was made public in a joint
communiqué and the Apostolic Letter establishing the
Apostolic Nunciature
was signed on 5 May
1973. That same year,
the Holy See was
honoured by the visits of Prime Minister
Gough Whitlam on
26 April and Deputy
Prime Minister Bernard Lance on 13
June. Mr Whitlam,
who recently passed
away, wrote to Pope
Benedict XVI two
years ago, recalling
the establishment of
diplomatic relations,
Statue of St Mary MacKillop in Adelaide, Australia
which he described
as a “memorable and
vantaged members of society. On significant initiative” of the Governreading her story, I was particularly ment which he led, describing the
impressed by her ability to forgive subsequent relationship as one
those who sought to place obstacles “which has always been maintained
in her way. At one point she was with deep mutual respect and coneven excommunicated, when she re- sideration”.
fused to agree to radical changes to
The first Ambassador, Mr Lloyd
the structure of her religious con- Thomson, presented his Credential
gregation which would have be- Letters on 8 October. On that occatrayed its original spirit and inspira- sion Pope Paul expressed his satistion. However, though she suffered faction with regard to the establishas a result of this unjust decision, ment of diplomatic relations, stating
she was still able to forgive. We can that “these official links reflect the
learn much from her example of un- shared conviction that men must
bounded charity and readiness to work together in the spiritual as well
forgive.
as in the political and economic orDuring the 20th century, particu- der if justice, peace and genuine
larly after the Second World War, progress are to be achieved”.
more than a million Catholics from
Based on these convictions, relavarious European nations, such as tions with Australia have continued
Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Ger- to strengthen over the years, with
many, Croatia and Hungary, arrived regular contacts through diplomatic
in Australia. Later, many more ar- channels, frequent visits by Australirived from Asian countries, includ- an leaders and ministers to Rome
ing the Philippines, Vietnam and In- and by personnel of the Holy See to
dia, and from the Pacific region. Australia. This year, for example, I
had the pleasure of meeting the
Minister for Education, the Honourable Christopher Pyne, who led the
official Australian delegation for the
canonisation of Popes John XXIII
and John Paul II, as well as a Parliamentary Delegation led by the Honourable Bronwyn Bishop, Speaker of
the House of Representatives, who
came to Rome at the beginning of
October. Last Saturday evening, I
met the Prime Minister, the Honourable Tony Abbott, and during
my visit to Canberra over the next
few days I shall have the honour of
meeting the Governor General, H.E.
Sir Peter Cosgrove, and the Minister
Forty years ago
On 24 November the Secretary
for the Holy See’s Relations with
States visited the Australian
Catholic University, Sydney, on
the occasion of the 40th
anniversary of diplomatic relations
between Australia and the Holy
See and of the centenary of the
establishment of the Apostolic
Delegation to Australasia.
Published here is a large part of
the Archbishop’s address.
for Foreign Affairs and Trade, the
Honourable Julie Bishop.
Among the high points of the
past 40 years were the two visits
which Pope John Paul II made to
Australia, in 1986 and 1995, and the
visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Sydney
for the unforgettable celebrations of
World Youth Day in 2008, which
concluded with the appointment of
the first resident Ambassador to the
Holy See, H.E. Mr Tim Fischer.
Just over two weeks ago, the Holy
Father decided to appoint as my
successor Archbishop Paul Gallagher, who has been the Apostolic Nuncio here in Australia since early last
year. I warmly congratulate him and
wish him every success in his new
responsibilities. As you know, Archbishop Gallagher has wide international experience, both bilateral and
multilateral, having served in various
Missions of the Holy See on all five
continents. I have no doubt that as
the new Secretary for the Holy See’s
Relations with States, he will continue to devote his energies to enhancing relations with Australia over the
coming years.
In conclusion, I wish to thank all
who have worked tirelessly to develop the good relations which exist
between the Holy See and Australia.
These relations, built on mutual respect and a spirit of dialogue, have
made possible successful cooperation in many areas, such as the promotion of human rights, religious
and political freedom, integral human development and a more inclusive society for all. It is my hope
that this visit will serve to consolidate our relationship and lay the
foundations for increased cooperation in the future for the good of all
humanity.
L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO
number 48, Friday, 28 November 2014
page 15
The Pope denounces the paradox of abundance and lack of solidarity
Dignity, not alms
Freedom from political and economic pressures in order to protect creation
“While we speak of new rights, the
hungry are waiting, at the street corner,
asking for the right to citizenship”: they
don’t ask for “alms” but for “dignity”.
This was the powerful statement Pope
Francis made on Thursday, 20
November, at the Second International
Conference on Nutrition at the Offices
of the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations
(FAO), where he addressed the
participants in Spanish. The Pontiff
called on States to address two
challenges: the “paradox of abundance”
and the “lack of solidarity”. The
following is a translation of the Holy
Father’s address.
Mr President,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am pleased and honoured to speak
here today, at this Second International Conference on Nutrition. I
wish to thank you, Mr President, for
your warm greeting and words of
welcome. I cordially greet the Director General of the FAO, Professor
José Graziano da Silva, and the Director General of the World Health
Organization (WHO), Dr Margaret
Chan, and I rejoice in their decision
to convene to this conference the
representatives of States, international institutions, and organizations of
civil society, the world of agriculture
and the private sector, with the aim
of studying together the forms of intervention necessary to assure food
security, as well as to insist on the
changes that must be made to existing strategies. The concerted unity
of purpose and of action, but above
all the spirit of brotherhood, can be
decisive in finding appropriate solutions. The Church, as you know, always seeks to be attentive and
watchful regarding the spiritual and
material welfare of people, especially
those who are marginalized or excluded, in order to guarantee their
safety and dignity.
1. The future of all nations is interconnected, more than ever before;
they are like the members of one
family who depend upon each other.
However, we live in an era in which
relations between nations are all too
often damaged by mutual suspicion,
Greeting to
FAO
which at times turns into forms of
military and economic aggression,
undermining friendship between
brothers and rejecting or emarginating those who are already excluded.
Those who lack their daily bread or
decent employment are well aware
of this. This is a picture of today’s
world, in which it is necessary to recognize the limits of approaches
based on the sovereignty of each
State, understood as absolute, and
on national interests, frequently conditioned by small power groups.
This is well demonstrated by your
working agenda for developing new
standards, structures and greater
commitments to feed the world. In
this perspective, I hope that, in the
formulation of these commitments,
States may be inspired by the conviction that the right to nutrition
can be guaranteed only if we care
about the actual subject, that is, the
person who suffers the effects of
hunger and malnutrition: the true
subject!
Nowadays there is much talk of
rights, frequently neglecting duties;
personnel
Hidden but precious work
Before leaving the FAO offices, Francis
stopped in the so-called Green Room
on the first floor to greet the staff,
whom he addressed in Italian. A
translation of his greeting follows.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I am pleased to meet with you,
who work for the FAO, this important Organization of the United Nations. I greet you all with affection
and I wish that each of you may
live in harmony with those who are
beside you in your family and in
every realm in which your daily life
unfolds. Through your work, often
hidden but precious, you come in
contact with various ordinary and
extraordinary events which aim to
promote productive policies in the
agricultural sector and in the fight
against malnutrition. You have, in
particular, the opportunity to approach the problems and the suffering of those populations who have
the right to improved living conditions.
I thank you for your service in
this international sphere, which
aims to reduce chronic hunger and
develop the food and agricultural
sectors throughout world. I know
that you have a spirit of solidarity
and understanding toward all, and
that you know how to go past the
paper, to see beyond every file the
weary faces and tragic situations of
the people suffering from hunger
and thirst. Water is not free, as we
so often think. It is a grave problem that can lead to war. In every
institutional public sphere, in yours
above all, there is great need of
people who distinguish themselves
not only through their professional-
ism but also through an outstanding sense of humanity, understanding and love. I invite you to be
caring and sympathetic toward the
weakest, according to the example
of Jesus who has taken on the suffering and ills of humanity, to avoid
becoming discouraged in the face
of difficulties, and to be ever ready
to support one another and thus
look to the future with hope. Your
hidden work looks at the people —
men, women, children, grandfathers, grandmothers — people who
are hungry. And, as I said recently,
these people ask us for nothing but
dignity. The ask for dignity, not
alms! This is your work: to help so
that dignity may reach them. I assure you of my prayer and I ask
each of you to pray for me and for
my service. Thank you!
perhaps we have paid too little heed
to those who are hungry. It is also
painful to see that the fight against
hunger and malnutrition is hindered
by “market priorities”, the “primacy
of profit”, which have reduced foodstuffs to a commodity like any other,
subject to speculation, also of a
financial nature. And while we speak
of new rights, the hungry are waiting, at the street corner, asking for
the right to citizenship, asking for
due consideration of their status, to
receive a healthy, basic diet. They
ask for dignity, not for alms.
2. These criteria cannot remain in
the limbo of theory. Individuals and
peoples ask that justice be put into
practice: not only in the legal sense,
but also in terms of contribution
and distribution. Therefore, development plans and the work of international organizations must take into
consideration the wish, so frequent
among ordinary people, for respect
for fundamental human rights in all
circumstances and, in this case, the
rights of the hungry person. When
this is achieved, then humanitarian
intervention, emergency relief and
development operations — in their
truest, fullest sense — will attain
greater momentum and yield the desired results.
3. Interest in the production,
availability and accessibility of foodstuffs, in climate change and in agricultural trade should certainly inspire rules and technical measures,
but the first concern must be the individual person, who lacks daily
nourishment, who has given up
thinking about life, family and social
relationships, and instead fights only
for survival. At the inauguration of
the First Conference on Nutrition in
this hall in 1992, St Pope John Paul
II warned the international community of the risk of the “paradox
of abundance”, in which there is
food for everyone, but not everyone
can eat, while waste, excessive consumption and the use of food for
other purposes is visible before our
very eyes. This is the paradox! Unfortunately, this “paradox” persists.
There are few subjects about which
there are as many fallacies as there
are about hunger; few topics are as
likely to be manipulated by data,
statistics, by national security demands, corruption, or by grim references to the economic crisis. This is
the first challenge that must be overcome.
The second challenge that must
be addressed is the lack of solidarity; subconsciously we suspect that
CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO
page 16
Friday, 28 November 2014, number 48
Morning Mass at the Domus Sanctae Marthae
Thursday, 20 November
The fear of surprise
Jesus often weeps for his Church,
even today, as he did before the
closed gates of Jerusalem. At morning Mass in the Domus Sanctae
Marthae on Thursday, Pope Francis
spoke about the day’s Reading from
the Gospel of Luke, 19:41-44. He reminded us that Christians continue
to close their doors to the Lord out
of fear of his “surprises”, which undermine established certainties and
securities. In reality, he explained,
“we are frightened of conversion because to convert means allowing the
Lord to guide us”.
The Pontiff began his reflection
with the image of Jesus weeping at
the gates of Jerusalem. Jesus “wept
over the city: He wept over her closure”. He wept because the city was
closed to Him, she didn’t want to
receive Him. Francis highlighted
that this was similar to the Apostle
John weeping at the closed scroll,
“sealed with seven seals”, as told in
the Book of Revelation, 5:1-10,
which was heard in the day’s First
Reading.
The Pope remarked that this closing “makes Jesus weep; the closure
of the heart of his chosen one, of his
chosen city, of his chosen people”,
who “didn’t have time to open the
gate” because they were “too busy,
too satisfied with themselves”. Even
today, “Jesus is still knocking on
doors, as he knocked at the gate of
the heart of Jerusalem: at the doors
of his brothers, of his sisters; at our
doors, at the doors of our heart, at
the doors of his Church”.
The fact is, the Pontiff explained,
“Jerusalem was content, at peace
with her life, and had no need of
the Lord” and his salvation. This is
why the city had “closed her heart
before the Lord. And the Lord wept
before Jerusalem. As he also wept at
the closed grave of his friend Lazarus. Jerusalem was dead”.
In weeping “over his chosen city”,
Jesus also weeps “over his Church”
and “over us”. But why, the Pope
asked, “wouldn’t Jerusalem receive
the Lord? Because she was at peace
with what she had, she didn’t want
problems”. This is why Jesus exclaimed at the gates, “Would that
even today you knew the things that
make for peace! ... because you did
not know the time of your visitation”. Indeed, the city “was afraid to
be visited by the Lord; she was
frightened of the gratuitousness of
the Lord’s visit. She was certain
about the things she could manage”.
This is an attitude seen among
Christians even today, Francis noted.
“We’re sure about what we can manage. But the Lord’s visit, his surprises, we aren’t able to manage
them. And Jerusalem was afraid of
this: of being saved on the path of
the Lord’s surprises”. The city was
“frightened of the Lord, of her
spouse, of her beloved”. This was
because “when the Lord visits his
people, He brings us joy”, but He
also “brings us conversion. And we
are all afraid”. The Pontiff emphasized that what we fear is not “happiness”, but rather “the joy the Lord
brings, because we can’t control it”.
In this regard, the Pope recalled
“Lamentations”, which the choir
sings on Holy Friday in the Liturgy
of the Adoration of the Cross: “How
lonely sits the city that was full of
people! How like a widow, a solitary
vassal has she become”. The Pontiff
then recalled Lord’s dialogue with
the city: “What have I done against
you, that you would respond this
way?”, and explained that the Cross
is “the price of that rejection”. The
Cross is “the price to make us see
the love of Jesus”, that love which
“led him to tears, to weep even
today, so many times, for his
Church”.
Jerusalem at that time “was at
peace, content; the temple worked;
the priests made sacrifices; the
people came in pilgrimage; the doctors of the law had everything organized”: it was “all clear, all the
commandments were clear”. Nevertheless, the Pontiff observed, “the
gate was closed”. He then invited an
examination of conscience, starting
with the question: “Today, we Christians, who know the faith, the catechism, who go to Mass every
Sunday, we Christians, we pastors:
are we pleased with ourselves?”.
Dignity, not alms
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15
this word should be removed from
the dictionary. Our societies are
characterized by growing individualism and division: this ends up depriving the weakest of a decent life,
and provokes revolts against institutions. When there is a lack of solidarity in a country, the effects are
felt by all. Indeed, solidarity is the
attitude that enables people to
reach out to others and establish
mutual relations on this sense of
brotherhood that overcomes differences and limits, and inspires us to
seek the common good together.
Human beings, as they become
aware of being partly responsible
for the plan of Creation, become
capable of mutual respect, instead
of fighting among themselves, damaging and impoverishing the planet. States, too, understood as communities
of
individuals
and
peoples, are called to act concertedly, to be willing to help each
other through the principles and
norms offered by international law.
An inexhaustible source of inspiration, natural law, is inscribed in the
human heart, and speaks to everyone in understandable terms: love,
justice, peace, elements that are inseparable from each other. Like
people, States and international institutions are called to welcome and
nurture these values in a spirit of
dialogue and mutual listening. In
this way, the aim of feeding the human family becomes feasible.
4. Every woman, man, child and
elderly person everywhere should
be able to count on these guarantees. It is the duty of every State
that cares for the well-being of its
citizens to subscribe to them unreservedly, and to take the necessary
steps to ensure their implementation. This requires perseverance and
support. The Catholic Church also
offers her contribution in this field
through constant attention to the
life of the poor, of the needy in all
parts of the world; along the same
lines, the Holy See is actively involved in international organizations and through numerous documents and statements. In this way,
it contributes to identifying and adopting the criteria to be met in order to develop an equitable international system. These are criteria
that, on the ethical plane, are based
on the pillars of truth, freedom,
justice and solidarity; at the same
time, in the legal field, these same
criteria include: the relationship
between the right to nutrition, and
the right to life and to a dignified
existence; the right to be protected
by law, however, is not always close
to the reality of those who suffer
from hunger; and the moral obligation to share the world’s economic
wealth. If we believe in the principle of the unity of the human
family, based on the common paternity of God the Creator, and on
the fraternity of human beings, no
form of political or economic pressure which exploits the availability
of foodstuffs can be considered acceptable. Political and economic
pressure: here I am thinking about
our sister and mother Earth, our
planet, and about whether we are
free from political and economic
pressure and able to protect her, to
prevent her from self-destruction.
We have two conferences ahead of
us, in Peru and France, that challenge us to Protect the Planet. I remember a phrase that I heard from
an elderly man many years ago:
“God always forgives offences and
abuses; God always forgives. Men
forgive at times; but the Earth never forgives!”. Protect our Sister
Earth, our Mother Earth, so that
she does not react with destruction.
But, above all, no system of discrimination, de facto or de jure,
linked to the ability to access the
market of foodstuffs, must be taken
as a model for international actions
that aim to eliminate hunger.
By sharing these reflections with
you, I ask that the Almighty, God
rich in mercy, bless all those who,
with different responsibilities, place
themselves at the service of those
who suffer from hunger and know
how to assist them with concrete
gestures of closeness. I also pray
that the international community
might hear the appeal of this Conference and consider it an expression of the common conscience of
humanity: to feed the hungry, in
order to save life on the planet.
Thank you.
There is a risk of already feeling
satisfied,
because
“we’ve
got
everything organized” and we don’t
feel the need for the Lord to make
“new visits”. But, Francis advised,
Jesus “is still knocking at the door,
of each of us and of his Church, of
the pastors of the Church”. And
should “the door of our heart, of the
Church, of the pastors not open, the
Lord weeps, even today”, just as He
did at the gates of Jerusalem:
“lonely, once full of people, a widow”. Jesus sees the city “and weeps
because she doesn’t open her gates,
because she fears his surprises, because she is too satisfied with herself”. Francis then concluded by asking us to consider: “How are we doing, at this moment, before God?”
Friday, 21 November
Those who scandalize
the people
Priests and lay people with pastoral
responsibility must “keep the temple
clean” and “welcome every person as
Mary did”, taking care not “to cause
scandal for the People of God” and
to avoid turning the Church into a
money exchange, “because salvation
is free”. This was the Pope’s recommendation on Friday morning, the
Feast of the Presentation of the
Blessed Virgin Mary, during Mass at
Santa Marta.
Speaking from the day’s Reading
taken from the Gospel according to
Luke, 19:45-48, Pope Francis said
that in the temple, Jesus’ act of
“driving out the vendors”, is actually
“a ceremony of purification of the
temple”. The people of Israel “knew
these ceremonies” because “they had
to purify the temple after it had
been profaned”. Just think “of the
temples of Nehemiah in the reconstruction of the temple”, the Pope
said. There was “always that zeal for
the House of God, for the temple,
for them, was ‘the sacred’, and when
it was desecrated it had to be purified”.
Thus, “in this moment, Jesus is
performing a purification ceremony”, the Pope repeated. He then
confided: “I was thinking today
about how this Jesus, zealous of the
glory of God, lash in hand, differs
from the 12-year-old Jesus who conversed with the elders: how much
time has passed and how much has
changed!”. In fact, “Jesus, moved by
zeal for the glory of the Father, performs this ceremony of purification
— the temple had been desecrated”;
not only the temple, however, but
also “the People of God, who have
been profaned by a sin so serious as
scandal”.
Referring again to the Gospel,
Francis remarked that “the people
are good, they went to temple, they
weren’t looking at these things.
They were looking for God, they
were praying”. It was necessary,
however, to “change currency in order to make the offering, and they
did it there”. It was actually to
search for God that “the People of
God went to temple; not so for the
vendors”. From them “came the cor-
number 48, Friday, 28 November 2014
L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO
hoped that this would “teach all of
us, all priests, all those who have
pastoral responsibility — to keep the
temple clean” and to “lovingly welcome those who come, as Our Lady
did”.
Monday, 24 November
Where the light comes from
El Greco, “Jesus Driving the Traders from the Temple” (1600)
ruption
that
scandalized
the
people”.
The Pope recalled, in this regard,
“a really beautiful scene of the
Bible”, which is also connected with
the presentation of Mary: “When
Samuel’s mother went to the temple,
she prayed for the grace of a son.
She quietly whispered her prayers.
The poor, old, but very corrupt
priest” called her “a drunkard”. At
that time, “the priest’s two son’s exploited the people, exploited the pilgrims, scandalized the people: the
sin of scandal”. The woman,
however, “with such humility, instead of saying a few harsh words to
this priest, explained her anguish”.
Thus, “in the midst of corruption, in
that moment”, there was “the holiness and humility of the People of
God”.
Let’s consider, the Pontiff continued, “those people who were watching Jesus clean house with a lash.
Luke writes: “all the people hung
upon his words”. In light of this
gesture of Jesus, “I think of the
scandal that we can cause for people
with our conduct, with our unpriestly habits in the temple: the
scandal of trade, the scandal of
worldliness”. Indeed, “how often,
even today, do we see there as we
enter a Church, there’s a price list:
Baptism, so much; blessing, so
much, Mass intentions, so much...”.
People are scandalized by this.
The Pope also told about an
event that he experienced personally.
“Once, newly ordained, I was with a
group from the university and a
couple who wanted to get married”.
They went to a parish to arrange the
wedding mass. “And the parish secretary there, said: No, no, you
can’t”. And they asked why they
couldn’t have a wedding mass, since
a Mass was always recommended in
order to marry. “No, it’s not possible, because you can’t take more
than 20 minutes”. Why? “Because
there are time slots — But we want a
Mass! — Then pay for two slots!”
So, “in order to marry with a Mass
they had to pay twice”. This, the
Pope said, “is a scandal”. And we
know “what Jesus says to those who
cause scandal: it would be better to
be cast into the sea”.
It’s a fact: “when those who are in
the temple — whether priests, lay
people, secretaries who manage pastoral care in the temple — become
profiteers, the people will be scandalized”. And all of us, the laity as
well, are responsible for this. Because, Francis explained, “if I see
see this going on in my parish, I
have to have the courage to speak to
the priest’s face”, otherwise, “the
people suffer that scandal”. And it’s
curious, the Pope added, that “the
People of God lose their priests,
when they have a weakness, slipping
on a sin”. However, “there are two
things that the People of God cannot forgive: a priest attached to
money and a priest who mistreats
people”. The scandal of a “house of
God” that becomes a “house of
trade” is hard to forgive. This is exactly what happened with regard to
“that wedding: the Church was for
rent” in shifts.
In the Gospel, Luke doesn’t say
that “Jesus is angry”, but rather that
Jesus has “zeal for the house of
God”, which “is more than anger”.
But, the Pontiff asked, “why does
Jesus act this way? He had said and
he expresses here: we cannot serve
two masters. Either serve the living
God or serve money”. In this instance, “the house of the living God
is a house of trade: the worship was
actually of money”. Jesus says instead: “It is written: ‘My house shall
be a house of prayer’; but you have
made it a den of robbers”. Thus,
“He clearly distinguishes the two
things”.
But there is also another question:
“why does Jesus have an issue with
money?”. Because, Francis answered,
“redemption is free: God’s gratuitousness”. Indeed, Jesus “comes to
bring us the full gratuitousness of
the love of God”. This is why,
“when the Church or the Churches
become profiteers, it’s said that salvation isn’t so free”. It is for this
very reason that “Jesus takes the lash
in hand to do this rite of purification in the temple”.
The liturgical Feast of the
Presentation of Mary in the Temple
reminds the Pontiff of a prayer. Recalling that the Virgin enters the
temple as a “simple woman”, Francis
In the widow who places her two
coins in the temple treasury, we see
the “image of the Church” who
must be poor, humble and faithful.
For his homily during Mass at Santa
Marta on Monday morning, Pope
Francis drew his reflection from the
Gospel according to Luke, 21:1-4.
He referenced the passage in which
Jesus, “after long discussions” with
the Sadducees and the disciples
about the Pharisees and the scribes
who, “pleased with having the first
places, the first seats in the synagogue”, look up and “see the widow”. There is an immediate and distinct contrast between her and “the
rich putting their gifts into the treasury of the Temple”. And the widow
is actually “the strongest person
here, in this passage”.
And twice, this passage says that
the widow “is poor: two times. And
that she is in poverty”. It’s as if the
Lord wanted to highlight to the
doctors of the law: “you have such a
wealth of vanity, of appearance and
even of arrogance. This one is poor.
You, who devour the widows’ livelihoods”. In the Bible, however, “the
orphan and the widow are the most
marginalized figures” as are the
lepers, and this is why “there are so
many commandments to help, to
take care of widows and orphans”.
Jesus “looks at this this lonely woman, simply dressed”, who gives “all
that she has to live on: two coins”.
We also think of the widow of Zarephath, “who welcomed the Prophet
Elijah and before dying gave all that
she had: a handful of meal and a
little oil...”.
The Pontiff recreated the scene of
the Gospel narrative: “a poor woman in the midst of the powerful, in
the midst of the doctors, the priests,
the scribes... also in the midst of
those rich men giving their offerings, a few even doing so to show
off”. Jesus says: “This is the journey.
This is the example. This is the path
you must take. This one”. Like the
“gesture of this woman who was all
for God, like the widow Anna who
welcomed Jesus in the Temple: all
for God. Her hope was in the Lord
alone”.
Francis stated that “the Lord
highlighted the figure of the widow”. The Pontiff, in fact, is fond of
seeing “in this woman, an image of
the Church”. First, the “poor
Church, for the Church needs to
have no riches other than her
Spouse”; then the “humble Church,
as the widows were in that time, for
in that time there was no pension,
there was no social welfare... nothing”. In a certain sense the Church
is “a widow somewhat, because she
is waiting for her Bridegroom to return...”. Of course, “she has her
Spouse in the Eucharist, in the
Word of God, in the poor: but she
is waiting for Him to return”.
What of “the figure of the Church
can be seen in this woman”? Francis
page 17
pointed to the fact that “she wasn’t
important”, her name didn’t appear
in the newspapers, “no one knew
her. She had no degree... nothing.
Nothing. She did not shine of her
own light”. Likewise, the “great virtue of the Church” is not “shining
of her own light”, but rather reflecting “the light that comes from her
Spouse”. Especially since “over the
centuries, when the Church wanted
to have her own light, she was
wrong”. Even “the first Fathers” said
that the Church is “a mystery like
that of the moon. They called her
mysterium lunae”, indeed, because
“the moon doesn’t have its own
light” but instead “receives it from
the sun”.
Of course, the Pope explained,
“it’s true that sometimes the Lord
may call on his Church” to have “a
little of her own light”. We remember when He asked “the widow Judith to take off her widow’s garments and array herself in her gayest
apparel to do a mission”. But, the
Pontiff said, “her widow’s attitude
continued” to direct her “toward her
Spouse, toward the Lord”. The
Church “receives light from there,
from the Lord”, and “all the services
we do” in the Church help her “to
receive that light”. When a service is
lacking this light, “it’s not good” because “it causes the Church to become rich, or powerful, or to seek
power, or to lose her way, as has
happened so many times in history”
and, Pope Francis pointed out, as it
happens “in our life when we want
to have another light: our own light,
which is not really that of the Lord”.
The Gospel, the Pope noted,
presents the image of the widow in
that precise moment in which “Jesus
begins to sense the resistance of the
ruling class of his people: the Sadducees, the Pharisees, the scribes,
the doctors of the law”. It’s as if He
were to say: “All this happens, but
look there!”, look at that widow.
The comparison is crucial in order
to recognize the true reality of the
Church which, “when she is faithful
to hope and to her Spouse, is joyous
at receiving light from Him, of being, in this sense, a widow: waiting
for that Sun to come”.
After all, “it’s not surprising that
the first harsh encounter that Jesus
has in Nazareth, after the one he
had with Satan, occurred because
He mentioned a widow and He
mentioned a leper: two outcasts”.
There were so many widows in Israel at that time, “but only Elijah
was invited by that widow in Zarephath. And they got angry and
wanted to kill him”.
When the Church is humble and
poor, Francis concluded, and even
“when the Church confesses her misfortunes — we all have them — the
Church is faithful”. It’s as if the
Church
were
saying:
“I
am
darkened, but light comes to me
from there!”, and this “does us so
much good”. Thus, “let us pray to
this widow who is surely in heaven”
that “she may teach us to be like the
Church”, renouncing “all we have”
and keeping “nothing for ourselves”
but instead giving “all for the Lord
and for our neighbour”. Always
humble and “without boasting of
having our own light”, but “always
seeking the light which comes from
the Lord”.
L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO
page 18
Friday, 28 November 2014, number 48
VATICAN BULLETIN
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
censión del Señor in Santiago (21
Nov.).
Bishop-elect Atisha Contreras, 45,
was born in Santiago de Chile. He
made his religious profession for
The Order of Poor Clerics Regular
of the Mother of God of the Pious
Schools and was ordained a priest
on 14 December 1994. He has served
in parish ministry and as: spiritual
director of the Colegio Hispano-americano y Calasanz; secretary of the National Commission for Youth Pastoral Care of the Chilean Episcopal
Conference.
The Holy Father appointed Fr Jorge
Martín Torres Carbonell as Auxiliary
Bishop of Lomas de Zamora, Argentina, assigning him the titular episcopal see of Aquae in Byzacena.
Until now he has been parish priest
of the Shrine of San Cayetano in
Buenos Aires (21 Nov.).
Bishop-elect Torres Carbonell, 60,
was born in Buenos Aires. After
completing his studies in theology
and philosophy he was ordained a
priest on 18 November 1983. He has
served in parish ministry and as:
head of youth pastoral care in the
archdiocese; episcopal vicar for the
Villas de Emergencia; dean and member of the presbyteral council.
The Holy Father accepted the resignation of Archbishop Dermot Clifford of Cashel and Emly, Ireland. It
was presented in accord with can.
401 § 1 of the Code of Canon Law
(22 Nov.).
The Holy Father appointed Bishop
Kieran O’Reilly, SMA, as Archbishop
of Cashel and Emly, Ireland. Until
now he has been Bishop of Killaloe
(22 Nov.).
Archbishop O’Reilly, 62, was born
in Cork, Ireland. He made his perpetual vows for the Society of African Missions on 10 April 1977 and
was ordained a priest on 17 June
1978. He was ordained a bishop on
29 August 2010, subsequent to his
appointment as Bishop of Killaloe.
The Holy Father accepted the resignation of Bishop Maurice Le Bègue
de Germiny of Blois, France. It was
presented in accord with can. 401 § 1
of the Code of Canon Law (22
Nov.).
The Holy Father appointed Bishop
Jean-Pierre Batut, titular Bishop of
Ressiana, as Bishop of Blois, France.
Until now he has been Auxiliary
Bishop of Lyons, France (22 Nov.).
Bishop Batut, 60, was born in
Paris, France. He was ordained a
priest on 23 June 1984. He was ordained a Bishop on 10 January 2009,
subsequent to his appointment as
titular Bishop of Ressiana and Auxiliary of Lyons.
The Holy Father accepted the resignation of Bishop John Cunningham
of Galloway, Scotland. It was
presented in accord with can. 401 § 1
of the Code of Canon Law (22
Nov.).
The Holy Father appointed Fr William Nolan from the clergy of
Motherwell as Bishop of Galloway,
Scotland. Until now he has been
Vicar General of the Diocese of
Motherwell (22 Nov.).
Bishop-elect Nolan, 60, was born
in Motherwell. He holds a doctorate
in moral theology. He was ordained
a priest on 30 June 1977. He has
served in parish ministry and as:
judge of the National Ecclesiastical
Tribunal of Scotland; dean in charge
of the on-going formation of the
clergy in the area; member and vicepresident of the Presbyteral Council.
The Holy Father appointed Fr
Henryk Wejman as Auxiliary Bishop
of Szczecin-Kamień, Poland, assigning him the titular episcopal See of
Sinitis. Until now he has worked for
the diocesan and metropolitan Synods (22 Nov.).
Bishop-elect Wejman, 54, was
born in Recz, Poland. He holds a
doctorate in theology. He was ordained a priest on 15 April 1984. He
has served in parish ministry and as:
teacher and spiritual director at the
Major Seminary of Szczecin, adjunct
professor at the Institute of philosophy of the State University of
Szczecin and at the “Adam Mickiewicz” State University, Poznań;
professor of moral and spiritual
theology; dean of the faculty of
theology at the State University of
Szczecin; member of the College of
Consultors and of the Presbyteral
Council.
The Holy Father accepted the resignation of Bishop Denis George
Browne, of Hamilton in New Zealand. It was presented in accord with
can. 401 § 1 of the Code of Canon
Law (22 Nov.).
The Holy Father appointed Fr
Stephen Marmion Lowe from the
clergy of Christchurch, as Bishop of
Hamilton in New Zealand. Until
now he has been parish priest and
director of formation at the national
Holy Cross Seminary (22 Nov.).
Bishop-elect Lowe, 52, was born
in Hokitika, New Zealand. He studied spirituality. He was ordained a
priest on 7 June 1996. He has served
in parish ministry and as: chaplain
to Roncalli College, Christchurch;
director of formation at the Holy
Cross national seminary in Auckland; administrator of Herne Bay.
The Holy Father appointed Fr John
Yaw Afoakwa as Bishop of Obuasi,
Ghana. Until now he has been rector of St Louis Rectorate (22 Nov.).
Bishop-elect Afoakwa, 59, was
born in Akrokerry, Ghana. He holds
a BA in religious education and in
religion with sociology and an M.Sc
in education. He was ordained a
priest on 11 July 1992. He has served
in parish ministry and as: teacher
and chaplain at the St Louis Training College in Kumasi and at the
Christ the King Catholic Secondary
School in Obuasi; director of the
diocesan Catechetics Office and the
diocesan department of social communications; rector of the Corpus
Christi Catholic Church, Akaporiso;
president of the Board of Governors; chaplain of the St Louis
Clinic, Bodwesango.
The Holy Father accepted the resignation of Bishop Dale Joseph Melczek, of Gary, USA. It was presented
in accord with can. 401 § 1 of the
Code of Canon Law (22 Nov.).
The Holy Father appointed Bishop
Donald Joseph Hying as Bishop of
A Christian leads Jakarta
A Christian is the new governor of
Jakarta, the capital of the most
populous Muslim country in the
world. Basuki Tjahaja Purnama,
who is know as Ahok, is also the
first representative of the small
Chinese community to become governor of the city. His appointment
is a sign of the reforms recently
made in Indonesia.
Last month the former governor
Joko Widodo became president of
the country and now Ahok, who
was serving as deputy governor,
will take his place. Over the last
few months controversy has surrounded the fact that he was to fill
the position. “You can’t make
everyone happy”, the new governor
declared during his inauguration
ceremony. More than a few challenges await the governor in a
sprawling city with a strained public
transport
service,
poorly
equipped against bad weather and
floods and inefficient bureaucracy.
Meanwhile beginning on 18
November the price of oil in Indonesia jumped 30 cents, after the
new government decided to reduce
public support of energy in order
to permit the country more fiscal
flexibility. The price went from
6,500 to 8,500 rupees (0.56 euro)
per litre, and before diesel was sold
at 5,500 and now it is 7,500 rupees
Gary, USA. Until now he has been
titular Bishop of Regiae and Auxiliary of Milwaukee, USA (24 Nov.).
Bishop Hying, 51, was born in
West Allis, Wisconsin. He was ordained a priest on 20 May 1989. He
was ordained a bishop on 20 July
2011, subsequent to his appointment
as titular Bishop of Regiae and Auxiliary of Milwaukee, USA.
The Holy Father appointed Fr Victor Hlolo Phalana as Bishop of
Klerksdorp, South Africa. Until now
he has been Vicar General of the
Archdiocese of Pretoria, South
Africa (24 Nov.).
Bishop-elect Phalana, 53, was
born in Erasmus, South Africa. He
holds a licence in spirituality and a
specialization in African culture. He
was ordained a priest on 14 May
1988. He has served in parish ministry and as: professor in the propaedeutic
seminary
of
Hammanskraal and of Cape Town; spiritual director of the St Peter philosophical seminary; teacher at the St
John Vianney Major Seminary, and
teacher at the Lumuko Pastoral Institute; administrator of the Cathedral of Pretoria.
CONGREGATION FOR DIVINE
WORSHIP AND THE DISCIPLINE
OF THE SACRAMENTS
The Holy Father appointed Cardinal Robert Sarah as Prefect of the
Congregation for Divine Worship
and the Discipline of the Sacraments. Until now he has been President of the Pontifical Council Cor
Unum (24 Nov.).
SYNOD
OF
BISHOPS
In view of the 14th General Assembly to be held in the Vatican
from 4-25 October 2015, on the
theme: “The vocation and Mission
of the Family in the Church and in
the Contemporary World”, the Holy
Father has appointed the following:
President Delegates
Cardinal André Vingt-Trois, Archbishop of Paris, France; Cardinal
Luis Antonio G. Tagle, Archbishop
of Manila, the Philippines; Cardinal
Raymundo Damasceno Assis, Archbishop of Aparecida, Brazil; Cardinal Wilfrid Fox Napier, OFM, Archbishop of Durban, South Africa
General Relator
Cardinal Péter Erdő, Archbishop
of Esztergom-Budapest, Hungary
Special Secretary
Archbishop Bruno Forte of Chieti-Vasto, Italy
SPECIAL ENVOY
Swearing-in ceremony of the new Governor of
Jakarta on 19 November (AFP)
(0.43 euro). “The State needs a
budget for infrastructure, education
and healthcare”, declared Widodo
to the local media. Numerous
protests followed.
The Holy Father appointed Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, OP, Archbishop of Vienna, as his Special Envoy to the celebrations for the 25th
anniversary of the refound freedom
of the Greek Catholic Church in
Ukraine, to be held on 10 December
2014 in Kyiv, Ukraine (22 Nov.).
number 48, Friday, 28 November 2014
L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO
page 19
Christian education “requires a patient
accompaniment which is capable of
waiting for the right moment for each
person, as the Lord does with each one
of us”. Pope Francis addressed this to
the participants in the third World
Congress of Ecclesial Movements and
New Communities, received in audience
on Saturday, 22 November, in the
Clementine Hall. The following is the
English text of the Holy Father’s
address, which was given in Italian.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Good morning!
I offer cordial greetings to all of you
taking part in this Congress
sponsored by the Pontifical Council
for the Laity. I thank Cardinal
Ryłko for his words, as well as Archbishop Clemens. At the heart of
your deliberations in these days are
two elements which are essential for
Christian life: conversion and mission. These are intimately connected. In fact, without an authentic
conversion of heart and mind, the
Gospel cannot be proclaimed; at the
same time, if we are not open to
mission, conversion is not possible
and faith becomes sterile. The
Movements and New Communities
that you represent are moving towards a deeper sense of belonging
to the Church, a maturity that requires vigilance in the path of daily
conversion. This will enable an ever
more dynamic and fruitful evangelization. I would like, therefore, to offer you a few suggestions for your
journey of faith and ecclesial life.
1. First, it is necessary to preserve
the freshness of your charism, never
lose that freshness, the freshness of
your charism, always
renewing
the “first love”
(cf. Rev 2:4). As
time goes by,
there is a greater
temptation to become
comfortable, to become
hardened in set
ways of doing
things,
which,
while reassuring,
are
nonetheless
sterile. There is
the temptation to
cage in the Holy
Spirit: this is a
temptation!
However, “realities are more important
than
ideas” (cf. Evangelii
Gaudium,
231-233); even if a
certain institutionalization of the
charism is necessary for its survival,
we ought not delude ourselves into
thinking that external structures can
guarantee the working of the Holy
Spirit. The newness of your experiences does not consist in methods or
forms, or the newness itself, all of
which are important, but rather in
your willingness to respond with renewed enthusiasm to the Lord’s call.
Such evangelical courage has allowed for the growth of your Movements and New Communities. If
forms and methods become ends in
themselves, they become ideological,
removed from reality which is constantly developing; closed to the
Francis to the third World Congress of Ecclesial Movements and New Communities
Patience is the only way
newness of the Spirit, such rigid
forms and methods will eventually
stifle the very charism which gave
them life. We need always to return
to the sources of our charism, and
thus to rediscover the driving force
needed to respond to challenges.
You have not been schooled in such
a spirituality. You have not attended
an institution of spirituality in this
way. You are not simply a small
group. No! You are rather a movement, always on the way, always in
movement, always open to God’s
surprises which are in harmony with
the first call of the movement,
namely the founding charism.
2. A further issue concerns the
way of welcoming
and accompanying
men and women
of today, in particular, the youth (cf.
Evangelii Gaudium, 105-106). We
are part of a
wounded humanity — and we must
be honest in saying this — in
which all of the
educational institutions, especially
the most important one, the family, are experiencing grave difficulties
almost
everywhere in the
world. Men and
women today experience serious identity problems
and have difficulty making proper
choices; as a result, they tend to be
conditioned and to delegate important decisions about their own lives
to others. We need to resist the
temptation of usurping individual
freedom, of directing them without
allowing for their growth in genuine
maturity. Every person has their own
time, their own path, and we must
accompany this journey. Moral or
spiritual progress which manipulates
a person’s immaturity is only an apparent success, and one destined to
fail. It is better to achieve less and
move forward without seeking attention. Christian education, rather, re-
quires a patient accompaniment those values which are essential for
which is capable of waiting for the life.
right moment for each person, as
In order to attain ecclesial maturthe Lord does with each one of us. ity, therefore, maintain — I say again
The Lord is patient with us! Pa- — the freshness of your charism, retience is the only way to love truly spect the freedom of each person, and
and to lead others into a sincere re- always strive for communion. Do not
lationship with the Lord.
forget, however, that to reach this
3. One other consideration we goal, conversion must be missionary:
must never forget is that the
most precious good, the seal
Christian education “requires a
of the Holy Spirit, is communion. This is the supreme
patient accompaniment which is
blessing that Jesus won for us
capable of waiting for the right
on the Cross, the grace which
the Risen Christ continually
moment for each person, as the
implores for us as he reveals
Lord does with each one of us”
to the Father his glorious
wounds, “As you, Father, are
in me, and I in you, may they also the strength to overcome temptabe in us, so that the world may be- tions and insufficiencies comes from
lieve that you have sent me (Jn the profound joy of proclaiming the
17:21). For the world to believe that Gospel, which is the foundation of
Jesus is Lord, it needs to see com- your charisms. In fact, “when the
munion among Christians. If, on the Church summons Christians to take
other hand, the world sees divisions, up the task of evangelization, she is
rivalries, backbiting, the terrorism of simply pointing to the source of augossip, please… if these things are thentic personal fulfilment” (Evanseen, regardless of the cause, how gelii Gaudium, n. 10), the true motivcan we evangelize? Remember this ation for renewal of one’s own life,
further principle: “Unity prevails since all mission is a sharing in the
over conflict” (Evangelii Gaudium, mission of Christ who always prenn. 226-230), because our brothers cedes and accompanies us in the
and sisters are always of greater work of evangelization.
value than our personal attitudes;
Dear brothers and sisters, you
indeed, it is for our brothers and sishave already borne much fruit for
ters that Christ has shed his blood
the Church and the world. You will
(1 Pet 1:18-19); it has not been shed
bear even greater fruit with the help
for my ideas! In addition, real comof the Holy Spirit, who raises up
munion cannot exist in Movements
and renews his gifts and charisms,
or in New Communities unless these
and through the intercession of
are integrated within the greater
Mary, who never ceases to assist and
communion of our Holy Mother,
the hierarchical Church. “The whole accompany her children. Go foris greater than the part” (cf. Evan- ward, always in movement… never
gelii Gaudium, 234-237), and the part stop but always keep moving! I asonly has meaning in relation to the sure you of my prayers and I ask
whole. Communion also consists in you to pray for me — I have great
confronting together and in a united need, truly — and I cordially impart
fashion the most pressing questions to each of you my blessing.
[Applause...] I now ask you, toof our day, such as life, the family,
peace, the fight against poverty in gether, to pray to Our Lady who
all its forms, religious freedom and had the experience of keeping alive
education. In particular, New Move- the freshness of the first encounter
ments and Communities are called with God, of moving forward in huto coordinate their efforts in caring mility, always being on the way, refor those wounded by a globalized specting each person’s time. She
mentality which places consumption never tired of having this missionary
at the centre, neglecting God and heart. [Hail Mary…blessing...].
page 20
The pursuit of “full Christian unity” is
a priority for the Church and one of
the “chief concerns” of Pope Francis, as
he stated in a Letter consigned to those
attending the Plenary of the Vatican
dicastery for Ecumenism, which was
held on 18-21 November and was
entitled: “The Aim of Ecumenism:
Principles, Opportunities and
Challenges Fifty Years After ‘Unitatis
Redintegratio’”. A translation of the
Letter follows.
L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO
Friday, 28 November 2014, number 48
Pope John XXIII
meets the observers
of the Churches
and Christian
communities
during Vatican II
(13 October 1962)
The Pope’s letter to the Plenary of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity
Ecumenical oxygen
Your Eminences,
Dear Brother Bishops and Priests,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I cordially greet you all and thank
you for this meeting, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of
the promulgation of the Decree of
the Second Vatican Council on Ecumenism Unitatis Redintegratio. On
that 21st of November 1964 the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church
Lumen Gentium and the Decree on
Catholic Churches of the Eastern
Rite Orientalium Ecclesiarum were
also promulgated. These three documents taken together, and profoundly linked to one another, offer
the vision of Catholic ecclesiology as
it was proposed by the Second Vatican Council. That is why you chose
to dedicate your sessions to reflecting on how Unitatis Redintegratio
can continue to inspire the ecumenical commitment of the Church in
today’s changed setting.
First of all, we can rejoice in the
fact that the Council’s teaching has
been broadly received. In these
years, on the basis of theological
purposes rooted in Scripture and in
the Tradition of the Church, the at-
titude of we Catholics toward Christians of other Churches and ecclesial
communities has changed. The hostility and indifference that dug
seemingly unbridgeable chasms and
caused such deep wounds are now a
thing of the past, while a process of
healing has begun that permits acceptance of the other as a brother or
sister in the profound unity that
comes from Baptism.
This change of mentality, due to
Unitatis Redintegratio and to the ecumenical action that followed it, can
and must penetrate ever more
deeply into the theological teaching
and in the pastoral practices of Dioceses, Institutes of Consecrated Life,
Associations and ecclesial Movements. In all the faithful there must
always be a growing awareness of
the commitment that implies the will
of Jesus expressed in his prayer to
the Father on the eve of His Passion: “That they may all be one” (Jn
17:21).
This anniversary also invites us to
give thanks to God for the many
fruits that have been reaped in this
half century. In particular, the Council’s recommendation has been
brought about, that is, appreciation
of how much good and truth there
is in the lives of Christians of every
community.
All this has enabled closer contact
with other Churches and Ecclesial
Communities and new forms of cooperation to be developed. Ecumenical translations of the Sacred Scriptures have been very important in
this regard. Christians of different
Pope Francis meets the Council
At Santa Marta on Thursday afternoon, 20 November, Pope Francis
greeted the participants in the Plenary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. During the brief meeting, the President of the
Dicastery, Cardinal Kurt Koch, greeted the Holy Father, who also consigned them the above letter.
Churches and Ecclesial Communit- Churches and Christian communities are working together at the ser- ies to bear witness to Christ even to
vice of a suffering and needy hu- the supreme sacrifice (cf. n. 4).
manity, for the protection of human There has been no shortage of such
life and its unalienable dignity, to witnesses in these 50 years and they
safeguard Creation, and against the continue even in our day. It is up to
injustices that afflict so many people us to welcome them with faith and
and peoples.
allow their strength to impel us to
As a Bishop of the Church which convert to an ever fuller brotherpresides in universal charity, I wish hood. Those who persecute Christ
to express my gratitude to all those in his faithful make no differentiwho in the course of
these 50 years have
been lavish in various
ways at the service of
the reconciliation and
the
communion
among all believers in
Christ, particularly to
those
who
have
worked in the Secretariat for Christian
Unity and in the
Pontifical Council for
Promoting Christian
Unity. While we give
thanks, we must recBernardino Palazzi, “Religious Figures” (1965)
ognize that among
Christians, we are still
divided, and that disagreement on ation between confessions: they pernew anthropological and ethical sub- secute them simply because the are
jects make our journey toward unity Christians.
more complicated. However, we
In these months, meeting so many
must not surrender to discourage- non-Catholic Christians, or reading
ment and resignation, but continue their letters, I have been able to see
to trust in God who plants in the how, despite the open questions that
hearts of Christians the seeds of love still separate us, there is a strong
and of unity, in order to confront and widespread desire to walk towith renewed momentum today’s
gether, to pray, to know and love the
ecumenical challenges: to cultivate
Lord, to cooperate in service and in
spiritual ecumenism, to turn to adsolidarity with the weak and the sufvantage the ecumenism of blood, to
fering. I am convinced of this: on a
walk together on the path of the
common path, with the guidance of
Gospel.
the Holy Spirit and learning from
Spiritual
ecumenism,
which one another we can grow in the
reaches a high point in the Week of communion which already unites us.
Prayer for Christian Unity, lives and
Dear brothers and sisters, 50 years
develops through countless channels, which truly only the Lord sees, after the promulgation of Unitatis
but which we, too, often have the Redintegratio, the pursuit of full
joy of knowing: it is a worldwide Christian unity remains a priority for
network of prayerful moments the Catholic Church, and thus it is
which, at parish and international daily one of my chief concerns.
levels, spread the oxygen of the au- Unity first and foremost is a gift of
thentic ecumenical spirit through the God and the work of the Holy Spirbody of the Church; a network of it, but we are all called to cooperate,
acts, which see us united and work- always and in every circumstance. I
ing together in so many works of therefore thank you for all of your
charity; and it is also a sharing of work and, in entrusting you to the
prayer, of meditation and other texts maternal intercession of the Blessed
which circulate on the web and can Virgin Mary, I ask you to please
contribute to raising awareness, re- pray for me and for my ministry,
spect and mutual esteem.
and I bless you from my heart.
With regard to the ecumenism of
blood, Unitatis Redintegratio itself in- From the Vatican, 20 November 2014
vited that we esteem it by acknowledging the God-given capacity of
our brothers and sisters of other