VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 178
DATE 13-10-2015
Summary:
- International congress to commemorate 50 years since the conciliar
declaration
Nostra Aetate
- Fr. Lombardi on the "Letter to the Pope from thirteen cardinals"
- Other Pontifical Acts
___________________________________________________________
International congress to commemorate 50 years since the conciliar declaration
Nostra Aetate
Vatican City, 13 October 2015 (VIS) - On the fiftieth anniversary of the
conciliar declaration "Nostra Aetate", on the relationships between the
Catholic
Church and non-Christian religions, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious
Dialogue, the Commission for Religious Relations with Judaism and the
Pontifical
Gregorian University (PGU) have organised an international congress from 26 to
28 October hosted by the PGU to commemorate the event and to analyse its
repercussions during the last five decades.
The congress will begin on Monday 26 October with greetings from Fr.
Francois-Xavier Dumortier, S.J., rector of the Pontifical Gregorian University,
and with an introduction by Fr. Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot, M.C.C.J., secretary
of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. This will be followed by
a screening of the documentary "Nostra Aetate, the Leaven of God", and
interventions from Cardinals Kurt Koch (president of the Pontifical Council for
Promoting Christian Unity) and Jean-Louis Tauran (president of the Pontifical
Council for Interreligious Dialogue). The day will conclude with greetings from
representatives of various religions.
On Tuesday 27, in the morning, the theologian Paul Gilbert S.J. and the
philosopher Professor Bruna Costacurta from the Pontifical Gregorian University
will consider the theme "Interreligious Dialogue: believers at the service of
the human person", a dual reflection from perspectives of philosophy and
theology. The next session will be entitled "Violence and the engagement of
religions for peace" with the Fr. Rocco D'Ambrosio (PGU) as moderator of the
two
round table discussions. In the first, the speakers will be the general
secretary of the Islamic Cultural Centre of Italy, Abdellah Redouane, and Rabbi
David Rosen, international director of interreligious affairs of the American
Jewish Committee. In the second there will be interventions from Alberto
Quatrucci (Men and Religions, from the Sant'Egidio Community) and Professor B.
Wimalaratana of the Buddhist Bellamwila Rajamaha Viharaya temple in Sri Lanka.
The theme of the afternoon session will be "The challenge of religious
freedom",
with Fr. Franco Imoda, S.J., as the moderator of the two round tables. In the
first, the speaker will be Rev. Fr. Christian Rutishauser S.J., Permanent
Consultor of the Holy See for religious relations with Jews, and Rabbi Daniel
Sperber of the Bar-Ilan University, Israel, while in the second there will be
interventions by Rasoul Rasoulipor of the Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences
of the University of Kharazmi, Iran and Swami Chidananda of the FOWAI (Flame of
Who Am I?) Forum, India.
On Wednesday 28 October, the participants in the Congress will attend the
morning general audience with the Holy Father, and in the afternoon they will
debate the issue of "Education and the transmission of values". The moderator
will be Fr. Bryan Lobo, S.J. (PGU), and the speakers Singh Walia of the Sri
Guru
Granth Sahib World University, India; Nayla Tabbara, of the ADYAN Foundation,
Lebanon; Rabbi Riccardo Segni, chief rabbi of the Jewish Community of Rome, and
Samani Pratibha Pragya of the Jain Vishwa Bharati Institute, United Kingdom.
The Congress will conclude with a presentation by Cardinal Secretary of State
Pietro Parolin, entitled "Educating for peace".
___________________________________________________________
Fr. Lombardi on the "Letter to the Pope from thirteen cardinals"
Vatican City, 13 October 2015 (VIS) - The director of the Holy See Press
Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., has given the following clarification
regarding the publication yesterday of a "Letter to the Pope from thirteen
cardinals".
As we are aware, at least four of the Synod Fathers who were included in the
list of signatories have denied their involvement (Cardinals Angelo Scola,
Andre
Vingt-Trois, Mauro Piacenza and Peter Erdo).
Cardinal Pell has declared that a letter sent to the Pope was confidential and
should have remained as such, and that neither the text published nor the
signatories correspond to what was sent to the Pope.
I would add that, in terms of content, the difficulties included in the letter
were mentioned on Monday evening in the Synod Hall, as I have previously said,
although not covered extensively or in detail.
As we know, the General Secretary and the Pope responded clearly the following
morning. Therefore, to provide this text and this list of signatories some days
later constitutes a disruption that was not intended by the signatories (at
least by the most authoritative). Therefore it would be inappropriate to allow
it to have any influence.
That observations can be made regarding the methodology of the Synod is
neither
new nor surprising. However, once agreed upon, a commitment is made to put it
into practice in the best way possible.
This is what is taking place. There is very extensive collaboration in the
task
of allowing the Synod to make good progress on its path. It may be observed
that
some of the "signatories" are elected Moderators of the Circuli Minori, and
have
been working intensively. The overall climate of the Assembly is without doubt
positive.
Cardinal Napier has expressly asked me to clarify the comments published in an
interview with "Crux", which do not correspond to his opinion. With regard to
the composition of the "Commission of the 10" for the final text, it was
incorrectly written that "... Napier said, adding that he would actually
challenge
æPope Francis' right to choose that'". Cardinal Napier has requested that this
be corrected, affirming the exact opposite: "... no-one challenges Pope
Francis'
right to choose that".
I have no further observations to make.
___________________________________________________________
Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 13 October 2015 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed:
- Rev. Msgr. Justin Bernard Gnanapragasam as bishop of Jaffna (area 4,400,
population 1,493,720, Catholics 240,682, priests 153, religious 324), Sri
Lanka.
The bishop-elect was born in Karampon, Sri Lanka in 1948 and ordained a priest
in 1974. He has served in a number of roles in the diocese of Jaffna, including
parish vicar, parish priest, vice rector and rector of St. Henry's College,
dean
of the Ilavalai deanery, director of a group of state schools, visiting
professor at the major seminary and rector of St. Patrick's College. He is
currently vicar general of Jaffna. He succeeds Bishop Thomas Savundaranayagam
Emmanuel, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese upon
reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.
- Rev. Fr. Arthur J. Colgan, C.S.C., as auxiliary of the diocese of Chosica
(area 3,418, population 1,931,000, Catholics 1,706,000, priests 131, religious
717), Peru. The bishop-elect was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, U.S.A. in
1946, gave his religious vows in 1966 and was ordained a priest in 1973. He has
served in a number of pastoral and administrative roles within his religious
Institute, including superior of the Congregation of the Holy Cross in Peru,
parish priest, vicar general, episcopal vicar for the archdiocese of Lima,
Peru,
theological assessor for the Episcopal Commission for Social Action of the
Peruvian Episcopal Conference, and provincial superior for the Eastern Province
of his congregation in Bridgeport, Connecticut, U.S.A. He is currently vicar
general of the diocese of Chosica, Peru.
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* Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)
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