VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 065
DATE 01-04-2015
Summary:
- Easter Triduum: peak of the liturgical year and of Christian life
- Ten years since the death of St. John Paul II
- Tax agreement between the Holy See and the Italian Republic
- Notice
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Easter Triduum: peak of the liturgical year and of Christian life
Vatican City, 1 April 2015 (VIS) - Pope Francis dedicated the catechesis of
this Wednesday's general audience to the Easter Triduum, the culmination of the
liturgical year, "and of our life as Christians", which begins tomorrow, Holy
Thursday, with the celebration of the Last Supper, in which Jesus offers His
Body and Blood to the Father, in the Bread and Wine, and instructs us to
perpetuate this offering in His memory.
"The Gospel of this ceremony, recalling the washing of the feet, expresses the
same meaning of the Eucharist from another perspective", said the Holy Father
to
the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square. "Jesus, like a servant, washes the
feet of Simon Peter ad the other eleven disciples. With this prophetic gesture
he expresses the meaning of His life and His passion, as service to God and to
His brothers. ... This also happens in our Baptism, when the grace of God
cleanses
us of sin and we are clothed in Christ. This happens every time we commemorate
the Lord in the Eucharist: we make communion with Christ the Servant to obey
His
commandment, that of loving each other as He has loved us. If we partake in
holy
Communion without being sincerely willing to wash each other's feet, we do not
recognise the Body of the Lord".
In the liturgy of Good Friday we consider the mystery of the death of Christ
and we worship the Cross. "In the final moments of life, before delivering his
spirit to the Father, Christ said, 'It is finished'. ... This means that the
work
of salvation is complete, that all the Scriptures find their fulfilment in the
love of Christ, the sacrificial lamb. Jesus, by His sacrifice, transformed the
greatest wickedness into the greatest love".
The Pontiff commented that throughout the centuries men and women have, by the
witness of their existence, "reflected a ray of this perfect, full,
uncontaminated love", offering the example of a heroic witness of our times,
the
Italian priest and missionary in Turkey Andrea Santoro, who shortly before
being
murdered in the church of Trebisonda on 5 February 2006, wrote: "I am here to
live among these people and to let Jesus do so, lending Him my flesh. ... We
become capable of salvation only by offering our own flesh. The evil of the
world must be borne and pain shared, absorbed in one's own flesh unto the end,
as Jesus did". "This example, and many others, sustain us in offering our own
life as a gift of love to our brethren, in imitation of Jesus", exclaimed the
Pope.
On Holy Saturday, "the Church contemplates Christ's 'repose' in the tomb after
the victorious battle of the Cross. On Holy Saturday the Church once again
identifies with Mary: all our faith is encompassed in her, the first and
perfect
disciple, the first and perfect believer. In the darkness that enshrouds
Creation, she alone keeps the flame of faith alight, hoping against all hope in
Jesus' Resurrection".
On the great Easter Vigil, "we celebrate the Risen Christ as the centre and
end
of the cosmos and of history; we stay awake to await His return, when Easter
will manifest itself fully. At times, the darkness of night seems to penetrate
the soul; at times we think, 'there is no longer anything to be done', and the
heart no longer finds the strength to love. ... But it is precisely in that
darkness that Christ lights the flame of God's love: a gleam that breaks
through
the darkness, presage of a new beginning. The stone of suffering is overturned,
making space for hope. This is the great mystery of Easter! On this holy night
the Church gives to us the light of the Resurrection, so that we no longer have
inside us the regret of saying 'by now...', but rather the hope of one who
opens
up to a present full of the future: Christ has defeated death, and we are with
Him. Our life does not end at the tombstone!".
"During these days of the Holy Triduum, let us limit ourselves to
commemorating
the Lord's passion, but let us instead enter into the mystery, making His
feelings and His attitudes our own, as the Apostle Paul tells us: 'Have this
mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus'. Then ours will be a
happy Easter".
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Ten years since the death of St. John Paul II
Vatican City, 1 April 2015 (VIS) - In his greetings following today's
catechesis, the Pope recalled that tomorrow will be the tenth anniversary of
the
death of St. John Paul II. "We remember him as a great witness to Christ in His
suffering, death and resurrection, and invoke his intercession for us, for the
family, for the Church, so that the light of resurrection may shine over all
the
shadows of our life and fill us with joy and peace".
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Tax agreement between the Holy See and the Italian Republic
Vatican City, 1 April 2015 (VIS) - This morning, in the Secretariat of State,
an agreement on fiscal matters was signed by the Holy See and the Italian
Republic. It was signed on behalf of the Holy See by Archbishop Paul Richard
Gallagher, secretary for Relations with States, and for the Italian Republic by
Pier Carlo Padoan, minister of Economics and Finance, with full powers.
The reforms introduced in 2010 and the creation by the Holy See of
institutions
with specific experience in economics and finance now enable full
administrative
cooperation, also with regard to fiscal matters. Within the framework of the
special importance of bilateral relations, Italy is the first country with
which
the Holy See has signed an agreement governing the exchange of information.
In accordance with the current process of establishing transparency in the
field of financial relations at a global level, the Convention transposes the
most up to date international standard in terms of the exchange of information
(article 26 of the OSCE Model) to regulate cooperation between the competent
authorities of the two contracting Parties. The exchange of information relates
to the fiscal year starting 1 January 2009.
The Convention, from the date on which it enters into force, will enable full
compliance, with simplified procedures, with the tax obligations relating to
financial assets held by institutions engaging in financial activities in the
Holy See by various physical and legal persons resident in Italy. The same
persons will be able to have access to a procedure for the regularisation of
these activities, with the same effects as established by Law 186/2014.
The Convention will also implement the provisions of the Lateran Treaty
regarding tax exemption for property belonging to the Holy See, indicated in
the
same Treaty.
Finally, the Convention incorporates the Exchange of notes between the
Ministry
for Foreign Affairs and the Secretariat of State in July 2007, which provides
for the notification of tax acts to the Holy See authorities via diplomatic
channels.
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Notice
Vatican City, 1 April 2015 (VIS) - During the Holy Week festivities, from
Thursday 2 to Tuesday 7 April, the Vatican Information Service bulletin will
not
be transmitted. Readers can find the texts of the Easter Triduum and Sunday of
the Resurrection of the Lord in the Holy See Press Office Bulletin. Service
will
resume on Wednesday 8 April.
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For more information and to search for documents refer to the site:
www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va
Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
the source: V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service.
http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html
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* Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)
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