POPE RECEIVES GENERAL DIRECTORS OF PONTIFICAL MISSIONARY WORKS FOR FIRST TIME, CONFIRMS THEIR RELEVANCE

Vatican City, 17 May 2013 (VIS) – The Pontifical Missionary Works (POM) are “entirely relevant, even more, they are still necessary today because there are so many peoples who have still not known and met Christ and it is urgent to find new forms and new ways that God's grace might touch the heart of each man and each woman and bring them to him.” With these words, Pope Francis greeted the national directors of the POM for the first time, thanking them because they help him “keep evangelization, the paradigm of every act of the Church, alive.”

The Holy Father noted that the Missionary Works are also called “pontifical” because “they are at the Bishop of Rome's direct disposal, with the specific purpose of acting so that the precious gift of the Gospel might be offered to all.” “Certainly,” he said, “the mission that awaits us is difficult but, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it becomes an exciting mission. … This is what we should always draw courage from: knowing that the strength of evangelization comes from God, belongs to him. We are called to open ourselves more and more to the Holy Spirit's work … to be instruments of God's mercy, his tenderness, his love for every man and woman, and especially for the poor, the excluded and the marginalized. And this holds for every Christian, for the whole Church. It isn't an optional mission but an essential one.”

The Pope repeated the invitation that Paul VI had given them 50 years before: “to zealously safeguard the universal scope of the Missionary Works” and he urged them to make sure that they “might continue, in the path of their centuries-old tradition, to give life and formation to churches, opening them to the broad dimension of the mission of evangelization.” The POM also properly belong to the concerns of the bishops so that they might be rooted in the life of the particular churches. Therefore, “they must truly become the privileged instrument of education toward a universal missionary spirit and an ever greater communion between churches to proclaim the Gospel to the world. Faced with the temptations communities have to become wrapped up in themselves, worried about their own problems, your job is to recall the 'missio ad gentes', to prophetically witness that the life of the Church and the churches is mission, and it is a universal mission.”

In this context, Francis asked them to give “special attention to the young churches, which often operate in a climate of difficulty, discrimination, and persecution, so that they might be sustained and assisted in witnessing the Gospel in word and in deed.” He concluded his address by encouraging the directors of the POM to continue their work “so that the local churches might ever more generously take on their share of responsibility for the Church's universal mission.”

PAPAL CELEBRATIONS FOR MAY, JUNE, JULY

Vatican City, 17 May 2013 (VIS) - Given below is the calendar of the Holy Father Francis' liturgical celebrations and activities scheduled for the months of May, June, and July.

MAY

23 May, Thursday: 6:00pm, Profession of Faith with the Bishops of the Italian Episcopal Conference.

26 May, Sunday, Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity: Pastoral visit to the Roman parish of Sts. Elizabeth and Zechariah. 9:30am, Mass.

30 May, Thursday, Solemnity of Corpus Cristi: 7:00pm, Mass in Piazza St. John Lateran. Procession to St. Mary Major and Eucharistic Blessing.

31 May, Friday: 8:00pm, Pope closes month of May, dedicated to the Virgin, with the Rosary prayed with the faithful in St. Peter's Square.

JUNE

2 June, 9th Sunday in Ordinary Time: 6:00pm, Worldwide Eucharistic adoration from Vatican Basilica.

16 June, 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time: 10:30am, Mass for “Evangelium Vitae” Day in St. Peter's Square.

29 Saturday, Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul: 9:30am, Mass and imposition of the pallium upon new metropolitans in the papal chapel.

JULY

7 July, 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time: 9:30am, Mass with seminarians and novices in the Vatican Basilica.

22-29 July: apostolic trip to Brazil for the 28th World Youth Day.

NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS: SEARCH FOR EFFECTIVE ANSWERS

Vatican City, 17 May 2013 (VIS) – Yesterday, Thursday 16 May, in the Domus Sanctae Marthae chapel, there was a meeting on new religious movements organized by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue that, together with the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and the Pontifical Councils for Promoting Christian Unity and for Culture, have been studying these phenomena for some time.

In 1986, for the first time, a brief provisional report was published entitled: “The Phenomenon of Sects and the New Religious Movements: Pastoral Challenge”, the result of a questionnaire sent out to the Episcopal Conferences two years prior. Since that time, the aforementioned dicasteries have continued their task of reflection, publishing an anthology of texts entitled: “Sects and New Religious Movements: Texts of the Catholic Church (1986-1994)”.

In 2003, “Jesus Christ, Bearer of Living Water. A Christian Reflection on the 'New Age',” was published by the Pontifical Councils for Culture and for Interreligious Dialogue following an International Conference on the New Age.

Yesterday's meeting, attended by around 40 representatives from various Vatican dicasteries, pontifical universities, the Italian Episcopal Conference, and the Vicariate of Rome, is a step further along the path of reflection, study, and the search for effective pastoral responses.

Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, opened and closed the meeting while Fr. Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot, M.C.C.I., secretary of the same dicastery, acted as moderator. Some of the themes covered include: New Religious Movements and the New Evangelization; New Frontiers of the Sacred; Dialogue and Comparison between Faith and Credulity; Catholics and Pentecostals—Identity, Ties, and Perspectives; and New Age, Analysis of the Cultural Context.

Speakers included: Archbishop Rino Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization; Fr. Michael Fuss and Fr. Michael P. Gallagher, S.J., professors at the Pontifical Gregorian University; Msgr. Juan Usma Gomez, office director of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity; and Fr. Alessandro Olivieri Pennesi, director of the Vicariate of Rome's Office for New Worship.

AUDIENCES

Vatican City, 17 May 2013 (VIS) – This morning the Holy Father received in separate audiences:

nine prelates from the Sardegna Region of the Italian Episcopal Conference on their "ad limina" visit:

   - Archbishop Arrigo Miglio of Cagliari,

   - Archbishop Paolo Mario Virgilio Atzei, O.F.M. Conv., of Sassari,

   - Archbishop Ignazio Sanna of Oristano,

   - Bishop Antioco Piseddu of Lanusei,

   - Bishop Sebastiano Sanguinetti of Tempio-Ampurias,

   - Bishop Giovanni Dettori of Ales-Terralba,

   - Bishop Mose Marcia of Nuoro,

   - Bishop Giovanni Paolo Zedda of Iglesias, and

   - Bishop Mauro Maria Morfino, S.D.B., of Alghero-Bosa.

and Cardinal Domenico Calcagno, president of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA).

This afternoon he is scheduled to receive Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

Vatican City, 17 May 2013 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father appointed Bishop Enrique Benavent Vidal as bishop of Tortosa (area 6,450, population 294,000, Catholics 261,000, priests 132, permanent deacons 2, religious 256), Spain. Bishop Benavent, previously auxiliary of Valencia and titular of Rotdon, was born in Quatretonda, Valencia, Spain in 1959, was ordained to the priesthood in 1982, and received episcopal ordination in 2005. On the Spanish Episcopal Conference he is a member of the Commissions for the Doctrine of the Faith and for Seminaries and Universities.

POPE TO NEW AMBASSADORS: FINANCIAL CRISIS ROOTED IN REJECTION OF ETHICS

Vatican City, 16 May 2013 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father received the credential letters of four new ambassadors to the Holy See: Mr. Bolot Iskovich Otunbaev from Kyrgyzstan; Mr. David Shoul from Antigua and Barbuda; Mr. Jean-Paul Senninger from Luxembourg; and Mr. Lameck Nthekela from Botswana. In the address he gave them, the pontiff urged them not to forget the predominance of ethics in the economy and in social life, emphasizing the value of solidarity and the centrality of the human being.

“Our human family,” the Pope said, “is presently experiencing something of a turning point in its own history, if we consider the advances made in various areas. We can only praise the positive achievements which contribute to the authentic welfare of mankind, in fields such as those of health, education and communications. At the same time, we must also acknowledge that the majority of the men and women of our time continue to live daily in situations of insecurity, with dire consequences. Certain pathologies are increasing, with their psychological consequences; fear and desperation grip the hearts of many people, even in the so-called rich countries; the joy of life is diminishing; indecency and violence are on the rise; poverty is becoming more and more evident. People have to struggle to live and, frequently, to live in an undignified way. One cause of this situation, in my opinion, is in the our relationship with money, and our acceptance of its power over ourselves and our society. Consequently the financial crisis which we are experiencing makes us forget that its ultimate origin is to be found in a profound human crisis. In the denial of the primacy of human beings! We have created new idols. The worship of the golden calf of old has found a new and heartless image in the cult of money and the dictatorship of an economy which is faceless and lacking any truly humane goal.”

“The worldwide financial and economic crisis,” the pontiff observed, “seems to highlight their distortions and above all the gravely deficient human perspective, which reduces men and women to just one of their needs alone, namely, consumption. Worse yet, human beings themselves are nowadays considered as consumer goods which can be used and thrown away. We have started down the path of a disposable culture. This tendency is seen on the level of individuals and whole societies; and it is being promoted! In circumstances like these, solidarity, which is the treasure of the poor, is often considered counterproductive, opposed to the logic of finance and the economy. While the income of a minority is increasing exponentially, that of the majority is crumbling. This imbalance results from ideologies which uphold the absolute autonomy of markets and financial speculation, and thus deny the right of control to States, which are themselves charged with providing for the common good. A new, invisible and at times virtual, tyranny is established, one which unilaterally and irremediably imposes its own laws and rules. Moreover, indebtedness and credit distance countries from their real economy and citizens from their real buying power. Added to this, as if it were needed, is widespread corruption and selfish fiscal evasion which have taken on worldwide dimensions. The will to power and of possession has become limitless.”

“Concealed behind this attitude,” the Bishop of Rome warned, “is a rejection of ethics, a rejection of God. Ethics, like solidarity, is a nuisance! It is regarded as counterproductive: as something too human, because it relativizes money and power; as a threat, because it rejects manipulation and subjection of people: because ethics leads to God, who is situated outside the categories of the market. These financiers, economists and politicians consider God to be unmanageable, God is unmanageable, even dangerous, because He calls man to his full realization and to independence from any kind of slavery. Ethics—naturally, not the ethics of ideology—makes it possible, in my view, to create a balanced social order that is more humane. In this sense, I encourage the financial experts and the political leaders of your countries to consider the words of Saint John Chrysostom: 'Not to share one’s goods with the poor is to rob them and to deprive them of life. It is not our goods that we possess, but theirs'.”

The Pope asserted that “there is a need for financial reform along ethical lines that would produce in its turn an economic reform to benefit everyone. This would nevertheless require a courageous change of attitude on the part of political leaders. I urge them to face this challenge with determination and farsightedness, taking account, naturally, of their particular situations. Money has to serve, not to rule! The Pope loves everyone, rich and poor alike, but the Pope has the duty, in Christ’s name, to remind the rich to help the poor, to respect them, to promote them. The Pope appeals for disinterested solidarity and for a return to person-centred ethics in the world of finance and economics.”

“For her part, the Church,” he reiterated, “always works for the integral development of every person. In this sense, she reiterates that the common good should not be simply an extra, simply a conceptual scheme of inferior quality tacked onto political programmes. The Church encourages those in power to be truly at the service of the common good of their peoples. She urges financial leaders to take account of ethics and solidarity. And why should they not turn to God to draw inspiration from his designs? In this way, a new political and economic mindset would arise that would help to transform the absolute dichotomy between the economic and social spheres into a healthy symbiosis.”

Finally, Francis greeted—through the ambassadors—the faithful of the Catholic communities present in their respective countries, urging them “to continue their courageous and joyful witness of faith and fraternal love in accordance with Christ’s teaching. Let them not be afraid to offer their contribution to the development of their countries, through initiatives and attitudes inspired by the Sacred Scriptures!”

POPE RECEIVES CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS' EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Vatican City, 16 May 2013 (VIS) – This morning, after celebrating Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae chapel, Pope Francis met with the Executive Committee of Caritas Internationalis, with their president, Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga, S.D.B., archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, for a presentation of their Campaign Against Hunger, which will be launched soon.

POPE'S MESSAGE COMMEMORATING EDICT OF MILAN

Vatican City, 16 May 2013 (VIS) – The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, is visiting Milan, on the occasion of the 1700^th anniversary of the Edict of Milan, signed by Constantine and Licinius, respectively the emperors of the western and eastern parts of the Roman Empire, in 313. The treaty granted freedom of worship to Christians throughout the Roman Empire, putting an end to religious persecution.

For his visit, Pope Francis, yesterday afternoon, sent a message—through Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B., to Cardinal Angelo Scola, archbishop of Milan, with greetings to the Patriarch, the participants in the commemoration, as well as to the entire city, “for the importance given to the memory of the historic decision that, decreeing religious freedom for Christians, opened new paths to the Gospel and decisively contributed to the birth of European civilization.”

In the text, the Holy Father expresses the desire that, “today as then, the common witness of Christians of the East and West, sustained by the Spirit of the Risen One, will agree to the spread of the message of salvation in Europe and the entire world and that, thanks to the foresight of civil authorities, the right to publicly express one’s faith will be respected everywhere, and that the contribution that Christianity continues to offer to culture and society in our time will be accepted without prejudice.”

AUDIENCES

Vatican City, 16 May 2013 (VIS) – Today the Holy Father received in audience seven prelates from the Puglia Region of the Italian Episcopal Conference on their "ad limina" visit:

   - Archbishop Domenico Umberto D’Ambrosio of Lecce,

   - Archbishop Domenico Caliandro of Brindisi-Ostuni,

   - Archbishop Filippo Santoro of Taranto,

   - Bishop Domenico Padovano of Conversano-Monopoli,

   - Bishop Vincenzo Pisanello of Oria,

   - Bishop Vito Angiuli of Ugento-Santa Maria di Leuca, and

   - Msgr. Luigi Ruperto, diocesan administrator of Nardo-Gallipoli.

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

Vatican City, 16 May 2013 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father appointed as members of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences:

   - Dr. Phillippe Chenaux, Swiss full professor of History of the Modern and Contemporary Church at Rome's Pontifical Lateran University and director of that same university's Centre for Studies and Research on Vatican Council II.

   - Fr. Cosimo Semeraro, S.D.B., full professor of Critical Methodology and Modern and Contemporary History at Rome's Pontifical Salesian University.

The Holy Father also appointed Msgr. Michele De Palma, of the clergy of the Diocese of Molfetta-Ruvo-Giovinazzo-Terlizzi, Italy, as secretary of that same Committee.

GENERAL AUDIENCE: THE HOLY SPIRIT'S ACTION

Vatican City, 15 May 2013 (VIS) – The action that the Holy Spirit carries out, in guiding the Church and within each of us, was the theme chosen by Pope Francis for his catechesis in today's general audience, with Pentecost drawing near.

“We are living in an age when we are rather sceptical regarding truth,” the Holy Father said to the over 75,000 people gathered in St. Peter's Square. “Benedict XVI spoke many times about relativism, that is, the tendency to believe that there is nothing definitive and to think that truth comes from consensus or from what we desire. … What comes to my mind here is … Pontius Pilate's question when Jesus reveals to him the profound meaning of his mission: 'What is truth?' Pilate is unable to understand that 'the' Truth is in front of him, he is unable to see, in Jesus, the face of truth, which is the face of God. … You cannot grasp truth as if it were a thing; it is encountered. It isn't a possession; it is an encounter with a Person.”

“But who can make us recognize that Jesus is 'the' Word of truth, the only begotten Son of God the Father? St. Paul teaches us that 'no one can say, “Jesus is Lord”, except by the Holy Spirit. Jesus calls him the 'Paraclete', that is, 'He who comes to our assistance', who is at our side to sustain us in this journey of knowledge.”

So, what then is the Holy Spirit's action? “In the first place, He recalls and seals upon believers' hearts the words that Jesus said and, precisely through those words, God's law … is inscribed upon our hearts and becomes, in us, the principle of judgement in our choices and of guidance in our everyday actions. It becomes the principle of life.”

The Holy Spirit, as Jesus promised, “'guides us to all truth'. He guides us not only to the encounter with Jesus, the fullness of Truth, but He guides us 'within' Truth, that is, makes us to enter into an ever deeper communion with Jesus, giving us knowledge of the things of God. … The Church's tradition affirms that the Spirit of truth acts in our hearts, arousing that 'sense of the faith' (sensus fidei) through which, as Vatican Council II states, the People of God, under the guidance of the Magisterium, unfailingly adheres to the faith that is bequeathed, deepening it with right judgement and applying it more fully in their lives. Let us ask ourselves: 'Am I open to the Holy Spirit's action, do I pray him to give me light, to make me more sensitive to the things of God?'”

“This is a prayer that we need to say every day: 'Holy Spirit, make my heart open to God's Word so that my heart might be open to good, so that my heart might be open to God's beauty every day.' Let me ask you: how many of you pray to the Holy Spirit every day? It will be few of you, but we must satisfy this desire for Jesus and pray every day to the Holy Spirit that He might open our hearts to Jesus.”

“Embracing the words and the truths of faith so that they might become life takes place and grows with the action of the Holy Spirit. In this sense it is helpful to learn from Mary, to relive her 'yes', her total openness to receiving the Son of God in her life, which was transformed from that moment. Through the Holy Spirit, the Father and the Son come to reside in us: we live in God and of God.”

“We have to let ourselves be flooded by the Holy Spirit's light, because He introduces us to the Truth of God, who is the only Lord of our life. In this Year of Faith, let us ask ourselves if we have concretely taken some steps to know Christ and the truth of faith more. .. At the same time let us also ask what steps we are taking so that faith might guide our entire existence. You cannot be a 'part time' Christian, [a Christian] in some moments, under some circumstances, for certain decisions. You are a Christian in every moment! The truth of Christ, which the Holy Spirit teaches and gives us, involves, for always and entirely, our daily life. Let us call upon him more often. Let me make this proposition to you: let us call upon the Holy Spirit every day so that He will bring us closer to Jesus Christ,” the Pope concluded.

In his greetings to the groups from different languages, the Pope addressed Polish pilgrims from Szczecin, members of the Christian Civitas Association that had organized a March for Life there. “This initiative reminds everyone,” the pontiff said, “of the necessity of promoting and defending human life from its conception until its natural end.” He also spoke to the Italian students, particularly those from Catholic schools, noting that “Catholic schools constitute an invaluable reality for all of society, above all for the educational service they undertake in collaboration with families. It is good that their role be recognized properly.”

POPE ANNOUNCES VISIT TO SHRINE OF OUR LADY OF BONARIA

Vatican City, 15 May 2013 (VIS) – At the end of today's general audience, the Pope, addressing a group of pilgrims from the Italian island of Sardinia, announced that he would like to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Bonaria that is located in the Sardinian city of Cagliari.

“I would like to visit the Sanctuary in Cagliari—almost surely in the month of September,” he said, “because there is a brotherhood between the cities of Buenos Aires and Cagliari because of an ancient story. At the moment of the founding of the city of Buenos Aires ifs founder wanted to name it 'City of the Most Holy Trinity', but the sailors who had brought him there were Sardinian and they wanted it to be called 'City of the Madonna of Bonaria'. There was an argument and, in the end, they arrived at a compromise. Thus the city's name turned out rather long: 'City of the Most Holy Trinity and Port of Our Lady of Bonaria'. Since it was so long only the last [word] remained: Bonaria, Buenos Aires, in memory of your image of the Madonna of Bonaria.”

PENTECOST VIGIL WITH ECCLESIAL MOVEMENTS

Vatican City, 15 May 2013 (VIS) – This morning in the Holy See Press Office a conference was held to present the Pentecost Vigil at which ecclesial movements will participate in for the 50^th anniversary of the beginning of Vatican Council II. Speaking at the conference, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization, noted that, to effectively celebrate the Year of Faith, it was not possible to overlook a gathering with the ecclesial realities, which are one of the Council's most evident results.

“In organizing the Year of Faith,” Archbishop Fisichella said, “we hoped to create a moment of encounter, of prayer, exchange, and listening that would allow us to live and to continue along the path of the new evangelization with as much strength and motivation. … The objective and the purpose remain identical and common for all: to bring the joy of the Gospel to every person.”

“Over 120,000 people, in fact, have signalled their attendance. Around 150 different ecclesial realities coming from [around the world] are registered … attesting to the fact that the Church's catholicity knows no boundaries.”

Under the slogan, “I Believe! Increase our Faith”, the gathering will begin with a pilgrimage for the various groups to the tomb of St. Peter throughout the morning of 18 May starting from 7:00am. Then, at 3:00pm, a welcoming ceremony with reflection, music, and testimonials will be held in St. Peter's Square.

Of particular note, the famous Gen Verde group and a choir of over 150 singers belonging to the various movements will accompany those gathered until 6:00pm when the Holy Father Francis will join the celebration with a moment of prayer in front of the image of the Virgin Mary Salus Populi Romani.

The event will continue with two very meaningful testimonials from the Irish writer and editorialist John Waters and the Pakistani surgeon Paul Batthi. After that, representatives of the movements will ask the Holy Father some questions, which he will respond to spontaneously.

Among those present there will also be a large number of people with various disabilities, the parents of a child killed in the earthquake in L'Aquila, Italy, and Italian politicians belonging to the Communion and Liberation movement.

The event will conclude with the celebration of Mass, presided by Pope Francis, on Sunday, 19 May, at 10:00am in St. Peter's Square.

PRESS RELEASE REGARDING CARDINAL O'BRIEN

Vatican City, 15 May 2013 (VIS) – This afternoon, the Holy See Press Office issued the following press release:

“His Eminence Cardinal Keith Patrick O’Brien, archbishop emeritus of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, for the same reasons he decided not to participate in the last Conclave, and in agreement with the Holy Father, will be leaving Scotland for several months for the purpose of spiritual renewal, prayer, and penance. Any decision regarding future arrangements for His Eminence shall be agreed with the Holy See.”

IOR TO OPEN INTERNET SITE PUBLISHING INFORMATION OF ITS YEARLY ACTIVITIES

Vatican City, 15 May 2013 (VIS) – The Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR) intends to open, before the end of the year, a website where it will make public, among other information, the “Yearly Report” of its activities. According to Vatican Radio, the announcement was made by the President of the IOR, Mr. Ernst von Freyberg, during a meeting with that Institute's personnel. Also, consultation with a new international certification company has been undertaken by the IOR in order to ensure full compliance with international standards for combating money laundering.

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

Vatican City, 15 May 2013 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father:

   - accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the Archdiocese of Songea, Tanzania, presented by Archbishop Norbert Wendelin Mtega, in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law. The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Tarcisius Ngalalekumtwa of Iringa, Tanzania, as apostolic adminstrator "sede vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis" of the same diocese.

   - appointed Bishop Ramon Castro Castro as bishop of Cuernavaca (area 4,941, population 2,202,000, Catholics 1,904,000, priests 197, permanent deacons 1, religious 442), Mexico. Bishop Castro, previously of Campeche, Mexico, was born in Teocuitatlan de Corona, Guadalajara, Mexico in 1956, was ordained to the priesthood in 1982, and received episcopal ordination in 2004. In the Mexican Episcopal Conference, he was elected director of the Justice, Peace, and Reconciliation Dimension of the Episcopal Commission for Social Outreach for the period of 2012-2015.

   - appointed Fr. Savio Dominic Fernandes and Fr. John Rodrigues as auxiliaries for the Archdiocese of Bombay (area 10,103, population 20,121,000, Catholics 520,932, priests 591, permanent deacons 10, religious 1,951), India. Bishop-elect Fernandes was born in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India in 1954 and was ordained a priest in 1989. Since ordination he has served in several pastoral, judicial, and administrative roles, most recently, from 2010, as chairman of the Archdiocesan Presbyteral Council. The Holy Father has assigned him the Titular See of Cozila. Bishop-elect Rodrigues was born in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India in 1967 and was ordained a priest in 1998. Since ordination he has served in several pastoral and academic roles, most recently, from 2011, as dean of studies at St. Pius X College in Goregaon, Maharashtra, India. The Holy Father has assigned him the Titular See of Deulto.

HOLY SEE TO PREMIERE PAVILION AT VENICE BIENNALE

Vatican City, 14 May 2013 (VIS) – This year, for the first time, the Holy See will participate in the Venice Biennale (1 June – 24 November)with a pavilion inspired by the Biblical story of Genesis, entitled “In the Beginning”. The name was chosen by Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, who, in line with his dicastery's mission, is seeking meeting points to stimulate the Church's dialogue with contemporary culture.

The first eleven chapters of Genesis are the starting point for the Holy See's pavilion, which is being coordinated by the director of the Vatican Museums, Antonio Paolucci. Beginning from three thematic areas, which have been entrusted to three different artists, the viewer is invited to enter into the first book of the Bible and to discover the journeys that begin therein; Creation, Uncreation, and Re-Creation.

This morning in the Holy See's Press Office, Cardinal Ravasi, the director of the Vatican Museums, and the president of the Biennale, Paolo Baratta, presented the event.

“The Pontifical Council for Culture,” began Cardinal Ravasi, “holds contemporary art at the heart of its interests for it is one of the most important cultural expressions of recent decades.” Genesis, the theme of the Holy See's pavilion, “is fundamental for culture and for Church tradition. It is also a source of inspiration for many whose works that have left a mark on the history of art: the story told in the Book of Genesis. Specifically, the first eleven chapters have been chosen, as they are dedicated to the mystery of man’s origins, the introduction of evil into history, and our hope and future projects after the devastation symbolically represented by the Flood. Wide-ranging discussions on the multiplicity of the themes offered by this inexhaustible source led to three thematic areas being chosen ...”

“The theme of Creation,” the cardinal continued, “concentrates on the first part of the biblical narrative, when the creative act is introduced through the Word and the breath of the Holy Spirit, generating a temporal and spatial dimension, and all forms of life including human beings. Uncreation, on the other hand, invites us to focus on the choice of going against God’s original plan through forms of ethical and material destruction, such as original sin and the first murder, inviting us to reflect on the 'inhumanity of man'. The ensuing violence and disharmony trigger a new start for humanity, which begins with the punitive/purifying event of the Flood. In this biblical story, the concept of the voyage, and the themes of seeking and hope, represented by the figure of Noah and his family and then by Abraham and his progeny, eventually lead to the designation of a New Man and a renewed creation, where a profound internal change gives new meaning and vitality to existence.”

The director of the Vatican Museums then spoke of the artists who are illustrating the three themes. “The theme of Creation was entrusted to Studio Azzurro, which places the immaterial image, light, sound, and sensory stimuli at the centre of their artistic investigation... Their work triggers a dialogue, awash with echoes and reverberations, between the vegetable and animal kingdoms and the human dimension, which leads, via memory, to other personal narrations on the concept of origins within an interactive plane that is also a temporal intersection.” The photographer Josef Koudelka is responsible for Uncreation. The power of his panoramic, black and white, speaks of the opposition between the human being and the world with its laws—moral and natural—and the material destruction that comes from a loss of a moral sense. Re-Creation was entrusted to the artist Lawrence Carroll, who is capable of giving life to salvaged materials, transfiguring them through processes of reconsideration and regeneration and who, against all odds, opens new possibilities of coexistence between as seemingly unrelated dimensions as fragility and monumentality.

“The Holy See's presence, for the first time, among the pavilions of the Venice Biennale,” concluded Paolo Baratta, “is an event of great importance and as such is hailed by the world of art and culture. This decision is a confirmation of the significance of the Biennale as a platform for exchange and dialogue. … This 55th edition of the International Art Exhibition is ... an exhibition-research. Over the years, the mixed fortunes of contemporary art have witnessed artists express ideas and make declarations that required a form and conversely, artists create forms that demanded reflection. Yet it has always placed humankind and its doubts at the forefront, seeking the actively engaged viewer rather than the passive consumer. From this point of view, the renewed attention of the Holy See at this time seems extremely important.”

CARDINALS TO TAKE POSSESSION OF DIACONATE, TITULAR CHURCHES

Vatican City, 14 May 2013 (VIS) – The Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff today announced that this coming Sunday, 19 May, at 6:00pm, Cardinal Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal, major archbishop of Trivandrum of the Syro-Malankars, India, will take possession of the title of St. Gregory VII al Gelsomino on Via del Cottolegno, 4.

The following Sunday, 26 May, at 11:30am, Cardinal James Michael Harvey, archpriest of Saint Paul Outside-the-Walls Basilica, will take possession of the diaconate of St. Pius V a Villa Carpegna in Largo San Pio V, 3.

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

Vatican City, 14 May 2013 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father appointed Bishop Hector Eduardo Vargas Bastidas, S.D.B., as bishop of Temuco (area 17,474, population 596,000, Catholics 386,000, priests 71, permanent deacons 41, religious 162), Chile. Bishop Vargas Bastidas, previously of San Marcos de Arica, Chile, was born in Valdivia, Los Rios, Chile, was ordained to the priesthood in 1980, and received episcopal ordination in 2004. He was national president of the Private Schools Association (FIDE) and a representative of the Catholic International Education Office (OIEC) to the United Nations' Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNECLAC). He succeeds Bishop Manuel Camilo Vial Risopatron, P. Schonstatt, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

POPE RECEIVES PRESIDENT OF COLOMBIA: CONTINUE PEACE PROCESS NEGOTIATIONS

Vatican City, 13 May 2013 (VIS) – This morning in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father received in audience His excellency Mr. Juan Manuel Santos Calderon, president of the Republic of Colombia. President Santos then met with the Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B., accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.

In the course of cordial conversations, the actuality of Mother Laura Montoya Upegui, first Colombian saint and fruitful interpreter of the country's Christian roots, who had been canonized the preceding day in St. Peter's Square, was discussed. Also covered was the Church's contribution in promoting a “culture of encounter” and her works in service of the country's human and spiritual progress, particularly for the most in need and the youth.

The challenges that the country must face were taken into consideration, especially in regard to social inequalities. Reference to the undergoing process of peace and the victims of conflict was not overlooked, with the wishes that the parties involved carry on negotiations, inspired by a sincere search for the common good and for reconciliation. Finally, the Church's commitment in favour of life and of families was emphasized.

PRESENTATION OF PONTIFICAL YEARBOOK 2013

Vatican City, 13 May 2013 (VIS) – This morning, Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B., and Archbishop Angelo Becciu, substitute for General Affairs, presented the Holy Father with the 2013 edition of the "Annuario Pontificio" (Pontifical Yearbook, the Holy See's annual directory), in the presence of the officials responsible for compiling and printing the volumes. The "Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae" (the Church's Statistical Yearbook), which the same discastery is also responsible for, was also presented.

A reading of the information given shows some changes relative to the life of the Catholic Church in the world from 2012 to the election of Pope Francis.

In that period, it is noteworthy that there were erected: 11 new episcopal Sees; two personal ordinariates; one apostolic vicariate; and one apostolic prefecture. Also, one territorial prelature was elevated to the rank of diocese and two apostolic exarchates were elevated to the rank of eparchies.

The statistical information, which refers to the year 2011, reveals details about the Catholic Church in the 2,979 ecclesiastical circumscriptions around the planet. The number of Catholics in the world increased from 1.196 million in 2010 to 1.214 million in 2011, an increase of eighteen million faithful, corresponding to a growth of 1.5%. Over the last three years the presence of baptised Catholics in the world has remained stable at around 17.5%.

The number of Catholics with respect to the total population varies considerably between the continents. Their numbers have increased in Africa (by 4.3%), which has reported a 2.3% increase of its population between 2010 and 2011. In Asia, an increase in Catholics greater to an increase in the population was also recorded (of 2% compared to 1.2%). In the Americas and in Europe the increase in numbers of Catholics is equal to the population increase (.3%). In 2011, the total of baptised Catholics had a distribution of, by continent: the Americas (48.8%); Europe (23.5%); Africa (16%); Asia (10.9%); and Oceania (.8%).

From 2010 to 2011, the number of bishops increased from 5,104 to 5,132, a relative increase of .55%. The increase mainly involved Oceania (+4.6%) and Africa (+1%) while Asia and Europe are slightly below the world average and no variation is seen in the Americas.

The steady increase in the number of priests which began in the year 2000 has continued. On 31 December 2011, their numbers stood at 413,418 compared to last year's 412,236. Nevertheless, this was not homogeneous growth. In Africa and Asia the increase was, respectively, +39.5% and +32% (with an increase of more than 3,000 in 2011 alone). In the Americas the situation is stationary (122,000 priests) while, over the last decade, Europe has seen a decrease of more than 9%.

The number of permanent deacons registered a strong increase: from 29,000 in 2001 to 41,000 in 2011. Those present in North America and Europe count for 97.4% of the total.

The number of non-ordained male religious increased, slightly surpassing 55,000. Their numbers are increasing in Africa and Asia (+18.5% and +44.9% respectively) and decreasing in the Americas (-3.6%), in Europe (-18%), and in Oceania (-21.9%).

The is a strong decrease in the number of female religious, which currently registers 713,000 members in contrast to 792,000 in 2001. There are fewer female religious in Europe (-22%), Oceania (-21%), and the Americas (-17%). Nevertheless there is significant growth in their numbers in Africa (+28%) and in Asia (18%).

Candidates for the priesthood, diocesan and religious, have increased since 2001 (112,244) by 7.5%. In 2011 there were 120,616 registered. The strongest increase in seminarians was in Africa (+30.9%), and Asia (+29.4%), while Europe and the Americas registered a decrease in their numbers of 21.7% and 1.9% respectively.

POPE CANONIZES MARTYRS OF OTRANTO, COLOMBIAN LAURA MONTOYA, AND MEXICAN GUADALUPE GARCIA ZAVALA

Vatican City, 12 May 2013 (VIS) – “Let us look to the new saints in light of the Word of God that has been proclaimed,” the Pope said during his homily at the Mass in which three new saints were canonized. “It is a Word that has invited us to faithfulness to Christ, even unto martyrdom. It has recalled for us the urgency and beauty of bearing Christ and his Gospel to all. It has spoken to us of the witness of charity, without which even martyrdom and mission lose their Christian savour.”

The Martyrs of Otranto were more than 800 men from the southern Italian city who had survived the siege and invasion of Otranto only to be decapitated on the outskirts of the city when they refused to renounce their faith and died witnessing to the Risen Christ. “Where did they find the strength to remain faithful,” the Pope asked. “Precisely from the faith, which makes us see beyond the limits of our human sight, beyond this earthly life … God will never leave us without strength and serenity. While we venerate the Martyrs of Otranto, let us ask God to sustain the many Christians who, precisely at this time, now, and in many parts of the world, are still suffering violence, that He give them the valour to be faithful and to respond to evil with good.”

The second saint canonized, Mother Laura Montoya, “was an instrument of evangelisation, first as a teacher and then as the spiritual mother of the indigenous peoples in whom she instilled hope, embracing them with the love she had learned from God, bringing them to him with a pedagogical efficiency that respected their culture and didn't put itself in opposition to it. … This first saint born in the beautiful Colombian land teaches us to be generous with God, to not live the faith in isolation—as if it were possible to live the faith in an isolated way—but to communicate it, to bear the joy of the Gospel with words and witness of life in every sphere in which we find ourselves. … She teaches us to see Jesus' face reflected in others, to overcome indifference and selfishness, which corrode Christian communities and corrode our hearts, and she teaches us to embrace everyone without prejudice, without discrimination, and without reticence, but with sincere love, giving them the best of ourselves and above all sharing with them what we have that is most precious—not our deeds or our institutions. No! What we have that is most precious is Christ and his Gospel.”

Saint Guadalupe Garcia Zavala, “renouncing a life of ease—and how damaging the easy life, well-being, can be; the “embourgeoisement” of our hearts that paralyses us—...to follow Jesus' call, who taught her to love poverty so that she could love the poor and the sick more. … The poor, the abandoned, the ill, the marginalized are the flesh of Christ. Mother Lupita touched Christ's flesh and taught us this way of acting: of not being embarrassed, not being afraid, not being disgusted to 'touch the flesh of Christ'! … This new Mexican saint invites us to love as Jesus has loved us and this entails not being locked up in oneself, in our own problems, our own ideas, our own interests, in this little world that causes us so much harm, but to go out and go in search of who needs attention, understanding, and help, in order to bring them the warm nearness of God's love through tactful gestures of sincere affection and love.”

At the end of his homily, the Pope emphasized that the new saints teach us “faithfulness to Jesus and his Gospel, to proclaim him in word and with our lives, witnessing to God's love with our love and with our charity towards all.”

REGINA COELI: BANISH VIOLENCE AND DEFEND LIFE'S SACREDNESS

Vatican City, 12 May 2013 (VIS) – At the end of the Mass for the canonization of the new saints, the Pope greeted the official delegations from Italy, Colombia, and Mexico, led respectively by Italian Minister of Justice Anna Maria Cancellieri; the President of the Republic of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos Calderon; and the Adjunct General Director for Religious Affairs of the Presidency of the Republic of Mexico, Roberto Herrera Mena.

“May the Martyrs of Otranto,” he exclaimed, “help the dear Italian people to look hopefully to the future, entrusting in the nearness of God who never abandons us, even in difficult times.”

The he asked for the intercession of Mother Laura Montoya that the Lord may “grant new missionary and evangelizing impetus to the Church and that, inspired by this new saint's example of harmony and reconciliation, the beloved children of Colombia might continue working for the progress of peace and justice in their country.”

“In the hands of St. Guadalupe Garcia Zavala, we place all the poor, the sick, and those who assist them, and we entrust to her intercession the noble Mexican nation so that, all violence and insecurity banished, it may advance ever more along the path of solidarity and fraternal coexistence.”

The Holy Father also noted that yesterday, Saturday 11 May, Fr. Luigi Novarese, founder of the volunteer Centre of the Suffering and the Silent Works of the Cross, was beatified in Rome. Fr. Novarese was “an exemplary priest who renewed the pastoral outreach to the sick, making them active subjects in the Church.”

Finally, the Bishop of Rome greeted those participating in the “March for Life” that took place today in Rome, inviting them all to “keep everyone's attention alive to the very important topic of respect for human life from the moment of its conception. In this regards I would also like to note the signatures being gathered today in many Italian parishes for the purpose of sustaining the European citizens' initiative 'One of Us', to guarantee legal protection to embryos, protecting every human being from the first instant of their existence. A special moment for those who have the defence of the sacredness of human life at heart will be the 'Evangelium Vitae Day', which will take place here in the Vatican within the context of the Year of Faith, this 15-16 June.”

AUDIENCES

Vatican City, 13 May 2013 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father received twelve prelates from the Puglia region of the Italian Episcopal Conference on their "ad limina" visit:

   - Archbishop Francesco Cacucci of Bari-Bitonto,

   - Archbishop Giovanni Battista Pichierri of Trani-Barletta-Bisceglie,

   - Archbishop Donato Negro of Otranto,

   - Archbishop Francesco Pio Tamburrino, O.S.B., of Foggia-Bovino,

   - Archbishop Michele Castoro of Manfredonia-Vieste-San Giovanni Rotondo,

   - Bishop Raffaele Calabro of Andria,

   - Bishop Mario Paciello of Altamura-Gravina-Acquaviva delle Fonti,

   - Bishop Lucio Angelo Renna, O. Carm., of San Severo,

   - Bishop Felice di Molfetta of Cerignola-Ascoli Satriano,

   - Bishop Luigi Martella of Molfetta-Ruvo-Giovinazzo-Terlizzi,

   - Bishop Pietro Maria Fragnelli of Castellaneta, and

   - Bishop Domenico Cornacchia of Lucera-Troia.

On Saturday, 11 May, the Holy Father received:

   - Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, and

   - Cardinal Antonio Maria Veglio, president of the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People.

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

Vatican City, 13 May 2013 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father elevated Fr. Victor Manuel Fernandez to the dignity of archbishop, assigning him the Titular Archiepiscopal See of Tiburnia. The archbishop-elect was born in Alcira Gigena, Cordoba, Argentina in 1962 and was ordained a priest in 1986. Since ordination he has served in several pastoral, academic, and administrative roles including, since 2011, as rector of The Catholic University of Argentina.

On Saturday, 11 May, the Holy Father accepted the resignation from the the office of auxiliary of the Archdiocese of Szczecin-Kamien, Poland, presented by Bishop Marian Blazej Kruszylowicz, O.F.M. Conv., upon having reached the age limit.