VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 087
DATE 11-05-2015
Summary:
- Francis receives the Episcopal Conference of Togo: spread the values of the
Christian family
- The Pope receives the "workers" of the Peace Factory
- The Holy Father receives the president of the Republic of Cuba
- Regina Coeli: love is a concrete path
- Pope's message to His Holiness Tawadros II: continuing friendship between the
Orthodox Coptic Church and the Catholic Church
- Pope's letter for the bicentenary of the coronation of Our Lady of Mercy
- To the bishops of Mozambique: always live among the faithful
- Cardinal Daniel Fernando Sturla Berhouet to take possession of his titular
church
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts
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Francis receives the Episcopal Conference of Togo: spread the values of the
Christian family
Vatican City, 11 May 2015 (VIS) - Defence of the particular nature of the
Christian family, and care in the formation of priests and consecrated persons
in a country where religious communities and co-existence with other religions
present no problems, were the key themes of the discourse Pope Francis handed
to
the bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Togo, whom he received in audience
this morning at the end of their "ad Limina" visit.
In the text, and in view of the upcoming Synod of Bishops, the Pope underlines
the need for the positive aspects of African families to be known and
understood. "In particular", he observes, "the African family welcomes life,
and
respects and takes into consideration the elderly. This heritage must be
preserved, and serves as an example and impetus for others. The sacrament of
marriage is a pastoral reality that is well accepted in your country, although
there still exist barriers of a cultural and legal nature that prevent some
couples from realising their wish to base their married life on faith in
Christ.
I encourage you to persevere in your effort to support families in difficulty
...
and to prepare couples for the commitments, demanding but magnificent, of
Christian marriage. Togo is not immune to ideological and media attacks that
come from all sides these days and which present models of unions and families
incompatible with Christian faith. I am aware of the vigilance you show in this
area, as well as your efforts, especially in the sector of communications".
"But one of the keys to meeting the challenges presented to your communities
and your societies is without doubt the formation of the young", continues the
bishop of Rome. "The Church-Family of God in Togo has chosen to stay close to
children and young people who receive a good human and religious formation
through numerous projects and initiatives. It is crucial that the young learn
to
life their faith with coherence, in order to bear witness to it with
authenticity and to contribute to a more just and fraternal society. ... Men
and
women religious play an indispensable role in the proclamation and transmission
of faith in Togo. ... I encourage you always to show paternal care towards the
various Institutes. Their numbers are growing rapidly, and their development
should be well accompanied; attention should also be paid to the formation of
the youngest among them, in particular, to avoid amalgamation at the level of
faith and inculturation. ... Vocations are numerous in Togo and seminarians
receive good formation in the seminaries ... which must later help them in
their
battle against ambition, careerism, jealousy, worldliness, the seduction of
money and worldly goods, and in living a sincere and joyful celibacy. I
recommend special attention to the spiritual and pastoral care of young
priests,
and to be open to listening to their experiences".
The Pope remarks that in recent years Togolese society has made significant
progress in the political and social fields, and that "the Catholic Church has
made extensive contributions to this, not only through her works of
evangelisation and human promotion, but also through her commitment to justice
and reconciliation. I thank you warmly for your efforts in this area,
especially
for your work in the Commission for Truth, Justice and Reconciliation. I
encourage you to continue, ensuring that the Church occupies the place due to
her in the the process of institutional reforms. ... However, it is always
necessary to take care not to enter directly into political debate or disputes
,
taking care instead to form, encourage and support the laity - whose role this
rightly is - so they are able to dedicate themselves to the service of the
nation and the highest level and to assume their responsibilities".
"I am glad that this service to Togolese society is also an opportunity for
joint action with other Christian communities, as shown by various joint
appeals
to the nation. In the same way, in matters of interreligious dialogue, it is
always necessary to promote, and perhaps further develop, the culture of
dialogue and encounter, given that you enjoy peaceful co-existence especially
with Islam, a co-existence that must be maintained considering the current
situation in Western Africa. 'Interreligious dialogue is a necessary condition
for peace in the world, and so it is a duty for Christians as well as other
religious communities'. It is particularly important for young priests to
receive a solid education in this matter", concludes the Holy Father.
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The Pope receives the "workers" of the Peace Factory
Vatican City, 10 May 2015 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall
Pope Francis received in audience more than seven thousand children and young
people, who form part of the "Peace Factory", an initiative promoted by various
institutions, including the Ministry of Education and the Italian Episcopal
Conference, to favour multi-ethnic integration and to raise awareness among
spiritual, political and educational leaders so that they use the language of
peace. The Peace Factory, presented on 5 May at the United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is a large laboratory that seeks to involve all
schools in an educational network that, through art, theatre, new technologies
and sport, offers a formation in human values to all boys and girls, starting
from elementary school.
Upon arrival in the Hall, the Pope was warmly greeted by the thousands of
Factory "workers", and answered the questions that some of them posed to him,
emphasising above all the inseparable relationship between peace and justice.
Francis did not pronounce the discourse he had prepared, but we publish several
extracts from it here below:
"Thank you for your invitation to work with you in the 'Peace Factory'! It is
good workplace as it is about building a society without injustice and
violence,
where all children and young people may be welcomed and grow in love. There is
a
great need for peace factories, as unfortunately there is no lack of war
factories! ... War is the result of hatred, selfishness, the desire to own more
and to dominate others. And to combat it you pledge to spread the culture of
inclusion, reconciliation and encounter. ... It is a good path, that requires
courage and strength, so that everyone may understand the need for a change in
mentality, to ensure the safety of children on the planet, and especially those
who live in areas afflicted by wars and persecution".
"The term 'factory' tells us that peace is something that has to ... be built
with wisdom and tenacity. But to build a world of peace, we need to begin with
our own world, that is, the environments in which we live every day: the
family,
school, the playground, the gym, the oratory. ... And it is important to work
together with the people who live next to us: our friends, schoolmates, parents
and educators. We need the help of all in order to build a better future. ...
The
true builder of peace is one who makes the first step towards the other. And
this is not weakness, but strength, the strength of peace. How can we put an
end
to wars in the world, if we are not capable of overcoming our minor
misunderstandings and our arguments? Our acts of dialogue, forgiveness and
reconciliation are bricks that serve to construct the edifice of peace".
"Another characteristic of this factory is that it has no borders. One
breathes
an air of acceptance and encounter without barriers or exclusion. Faced with
people from different countries and ethnic groups, who have other traditions
and
religions, your attitude is that of knowledge and dialogue, for the inclusion
of
all, with respect for the laws of the State. And you have understood that to
construct a world of peace it is indispensable to take an interest in the needs
of the poorest, the most suffering and abandoned, even those who are far away.
I
think of many of your peers who, just for the fact of being Christians, have
been driven from their homes, their countries, and some have been killed for
holding the Bible in their hands! And in this way the work of your 'factory'
truly becomes a work of love. Loving others, especially the most disadvantaged,
means showing that every person is a gift of God. Every person".
"But peace itself is a gift of God, a gift to ask for trustfully in prayer.
Therefore it is important not only to be witnesses of peace and love, but also
witnesses of prayer. Prayer is speaking to God, our Father in Heaven, to
entrust
to Him our wishes, our joys, our sorrows. Prayer is asking Him for forgiveness
every time we err and commit a sin, in the certainty that He always forgives.
His goodness towards us drives us too to be merciful towards our brothers,
forgiving them from our heart when they offend us or harm us. And, finally,
peace has a face and a heart: it is the face and the heart of Jesus, the Son of
God, Who died on the cross and rose again to bring peace to every man and to
all
humanity. Jesus is 'our peace', as he tore down the wall of hate that separated
men from each other".
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The Holy Father receives the president of the Republic of Cuba
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* Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)
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