Vatican Radio REPORT/SHARE Pope Benedict XVI
received Knights and Dames of the Order of Malta on Saturday, on occasion of the
900th anniversary of the document that created the organisation as an Sovereign
Order under Papal protection. Below, please find the full English text of the
Pope's remarks.
*******************************
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
I am happy to welcome and to greet each one of you, Knights and Dames, chaplains and volunteers, of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. I greet in a special way the Grand Master, His Most Eminent Highness Fra’ Matthew Festing, and I thank him for his kind words addressed to me in the name of all of you; I also thank you for the gift you wished to offer me, which I will dedicate to a work of charity. My affectionate thoughts go to the Cardinals and to my brother bishops and priests, in particular to my Secretary of State, who has just presided at the Eucharist, and to Cardinal Paolo Sardi, Patron of the Order, whom I thank for the care with which he strives to strengthen the special bond that joins you to the Catholic Church and most particularly to the Holy See. With gratitude, I greet Archbishop Angelo Acerbi, your Prelate. A final word of greeting goes to the diplomats and to all the high dignitaries and authorities who are present.
The occasion that brings us together is the ninth centenary of the solemn privilege Pie Postulatio Voluntatis of 15 February 1113, by which Pope Paschal II placed the newly created “hospitaller fraternity” of Jerusalem, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, under the protection of the Church, and gave it sovereign status, constituting it as an Order in church law, with the faculty freely to elect its superiors without interference from other lay or religious authorities. This important event takes on a special meaning in the context of the Year of Faith, during which the Church is called to renew the joy and the commitment of believing in Jesus Christ, the one Saviour of the world. In this regard, you too are called to welcome this time of grace, so as to deepen your knowledge of the Lord and to cause the truth and beauty of the faith to shine forth, through the witness of your lives and your service, in this present time.
Your Order, from its earliest days, has been marked by fidelity to the Church and to the Successor of Peter, and also for its unrenounceable spiritual identity, characterized by high religious ideals. Continue to walk along this path, bearing concrete witness to the transforming power of faith. By faith the Apostles left everything to follow Jesus, and then went out to the whole world, in fulfilment of his command to bring the Gospel to every creature; fearlessly they proclaimed to all people the power of the cross and the joy of the resurrection of Christ, which they had witnessed directly. By faith, the martyrs gave their lives, demonstrating the truth of the Gospel which had transformed them and made them capable of attaining to the highest gift, the fruit of love: that of forgiving their persecutors. And by faith, down the centuries, the members of your Order have given themselves completely, firstly in the care of the sick in Jerusalem and then in aid to pilgrims in the Holy Land who were exposed to grave dangers: their lives have added radiant pages to the annals of Christian charity and protection of Christianity. In the nineteenth century, the Order opened up to new and more ample forms of apostolate in the area of charitable assistance and service of the sick and the poor, but without ever abandoning the original ideals, especially that of the intense spiritual life of individual members. In this sense, your commitment must continue with a very particular attention to the religious consecration – of the professed members – which constitutes the heart of the Order. You must never forget your roots, when Blessed Gérard and his companions consecrated themselves with vows to the service of the poor, and their vocation was sanctioned by the privilege Pie Postulatio Voluntatis. The members of the newly created institute were thus configured with the features of religious life: commitment to attain Christian perfection by profession of the three vows, the charism for which they were consecrated, and fraternity among the members. The vocation of the professed members, still today, must be the object of great attention, combined with attention to the spiritual life of all.
In this sense, your Order, compared with other organizations that are committed in the international arena to the care of the sick, to solidarity and to human promotion, is distinguished by the Christian inspiration that must constantly direct the social engagement of its members. Be sure to preserve and cultivate this your qualifying characteristic and work with renewed apostolic ardour, maintaining an attitude of profound harmony with the Magisterium of the Church. Your esteemed and beneficent activity, carried out in a variety of fields and in different parts of the world, and particularly focused on care of the sick through hospitals and health-care institutes, is not mere philanthropy, but an effective expression and a living testimony of evangelical love.
In Sacred Scripture, the summons to love of neighbour is tied to the commandment to love God with all our heart, all our soul and all our strength (cf Mk 12:29-31). Thus, love of neighbour – if based on a true love for God – corresponds to the commandment and the example of Christ. It is possible, then, for the Christian, through his or her dedication, to bring others to experience the bountiful tenderness of our heavenly Father, through an ever deeper conformation to Christ. In order to offer love to our brothers and sisters, we must be afire with it from the furnace of divine charity: through prayer, constant listening to the word of God, and a life centred on the Eucharist. Your daily life must be imbued with the presence of Jesus, under whose gaze you are called to place the sufferings of the sick, the loneliness of the elderly, the difficulties of the disabled. In reaching out to these people, you are serving Christ: “as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me” (Mt 25:40).
Dear friends, continue working in society and in the world along the elevated paths indicated by the Gospel – faith and charity, for the renewal of hope: faith, as testimony of adherence to Christ and of commitment to the Gospel mission, which inspires you to an ever more vital presence in the ecclesial community and to an ever more conscious membership of the people of God; charity, as an expression of fraternity in Christ, through works of mercy for the sick, the poor, those in need of love, comfort and assistance, those who are afflicted by loneliness, by a sense of bewilderment and by new material and spiritual forms of poverty. These ideals are aptly expressed in your motto: “Tuitio fidei et obsequium pauperum”. These words summarize well the charism of your Order which, as a subject of international law, aims not to exercise power and influence of a worldly character, but in complete freedom to accomplish its own mission for the integral good of man, spirit and body, both individually and collectively, with special regard to those whose need of hope and love is greater.
May the Holy Virgin, Our Lady of Philermos, support your plans and projects with her maternal protection; may your heavenly protector Saint John the Baptist and Blessed Gérard, as well as the saints and blesseds of the Order, accompany you with their intercession. For my part, I promise to pray for all those present here, for all the members of the Order, as well as the numerous worthy volunteers, including a significant number of children, and for all who work alongside you. Affectionately, I impart to you a special Apostolic Blessing, which I willingly extend to your families.
SHARED FROM RADIO VATICANA
*******************************
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
I am happy to welcome and to greet each one of you, Knights and Dames, chaplains and volunteers, of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. I greet in a special way the Grand Master, His Most Eminent Highness Fra’ Matthew Festing, and I thank him for his kind words addressed to me in the name of all of you; I also thank you for the gift you wished to offer me, which I will dedicate to a work of charity. My affectionate thoughts go to the Cardinals and to my brother bishops and priests, in particular to my Secretary of State, who has just presided at the Eucharist, and to Cardinal Paolo Sardi, Patron of the Order, whom I thank for the care with which he strives to strengthen the special bond that joins you to the Catholic Church and most particularly to the Holy See. With gratitude, I greet Archbishop Angelo Acerbi, your Prelate. A final word of greeting goes to the diplomats and to all the high dignitaries and authorities who are present.
The occasion that brings us together is the ninth centenary of the solemn privilege Pie Postulatio Voluntatis of 15 February 1113, by which Pope Paschal II placed the newly created “hospitaller fraternity” of Jerusalem, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, under the protection of the Church, and gave it sovereign status, constituting it as an Order in church law, with the faculty freely to elect its superiors without interference from other lay or religious authorities. This important event takes on a special meaning in the context of the Year of Faith, during which the Church is called to renew the joy and the commitment of believing in Jesus Christ, the one Saviour of the world. In this regard, you too are called to welcome this time of grace, so as to deepen your knowledge of the Lord and to cause the truth and beauty of the faith to shine forth, through the witness of your lives and your service, in this present time.
Your Order, from its earliest days, has been marked by fidelity to the Church and to the Successor of Peter, and also for its unrenounceable spiritual identity, characterized by high religious ideals. Continue to walk along this path, bearing concrete witness to the transforming power of faith. By faith the Apostles left everything to follow Jesus, and then went out to the whole world, in fulfilment of his command to bring the Gospel to every creature; fearlessly they proclaimed to all people the power of the cross and the joy of the resurrection of Christ, which they had witnessed directly. By faith, the martyrs gave their lives, demonstrating the truth of the Gospel which had transformed them and made them capable of attaining to the highest gift, the fruit of love: that of forgiving their persecutors. And by faith, down the centuries, the members of your Order have given themselves completely, firstly in the care of the sick in Jerusalem and then in aid to pilgrims in the Holy Land who were exposed to grave dangers: their lives have added radiant pages to the annals of Christian charity and protection of Christianity. In the nineteenth century, the Order opened up to new and more ample forms of apostolate in the area of charitable assistance and service of the sick and the poor, but without ever abandoning the original ideals, especially that of the intense spiritual life of individual members. In this sense, your commitment must continue with a very particular attention to the religious consecration – of the professed members – which constitutes the heart of the Order. You must never forget your roots, when Blessed Gérard and his companions consecrated themselves with vows to the service of the poor, and their vocation was sanctioned by the privilege Pie Postulatio Voluntatis. The members of the newly created institute were thus configured with the features of religious life: commitment to attain Christian perfection by profession of the three vows, the charism for which they were consecrated, and fraternity among the members. The vocation of the professed members, still today, must be the object of great attention, combined with attention to the spiritual life of all.
In this sense, your Order, compared with other organizations that are committed in the international arena to the care of the sick, to solidarity and to human promotion, is distinguished by the Christian inspiration that must constantly direct the social engagement of its members. Be sure to preserve and cultivate this your qualifying characteristic and work with renewed apostolic ardour, maintaining an attitude of profound harmony with the Magisterium of the Church. Your esteemed and beneficent activity, carried out in a variety of fields and in different parts of the world, and particularly focused on care of the sick through hospitals and health-care institutes, is not mere philanthropy, but an effective expression and a living testimony of evangelical love.
In Sacred Scripture, the summons to love of neighbour is tied to the commandment to love God with all our heart, all our soul and all our strength (cf Mk 12:29-31). Thus, love of neighbour – if based on a true love for God – corresponds to the commandment and the example of Christ. It is possible, then, for the Christian, through his or her dedication, to bring others to experience the bountiful tenderness of our heavenly Father, through an ever deeper conformation to Christ. In order to offer love to our brothers and sisters, we must be afire with it from the furnace of divine charity: through prayer, constant listening to the word of God, and a life centred on the Eucharist. Your daily life must be imbued with the presence of Jesus, under whose gaze you are called to place the sufferings of the sick, the loneliness of the elderly, the difficulties of the disabled. In reaching out to these people, you are serving Christ: “as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me” (Mt 25:40).
Dear friends, continue working in society and in the world along the elevated paths indicated by the Gospel – faith and charity, for the renewal of hope: faith, as testimony of adherence to Christ and of commitment to the Gospel mission, which inspires you to an ever more vital presence in the ecclesial community and to an ever more conscious membership of the people of God; charity, as an expression of fraternity in Christ, through works of mercy for the sick, the poor, those in need of love, comfort and assistance, those who are afflicted by loneliness, by a sense of bewilderment and by new material and spiritual forms of poverty. These ideals are aptly expressed in your motto: “Tuitio fidei et obsequium pauperum”. These words summarize well the charism of your Order which, as a subject of international law, aims not to exercise power and influence of a worldly character, but in complete freedom to accomplish its own mission for the integral good of man, spirit and body, both individually and collectively, with special regard to those whose need of hope and love is greater.
May the Holy Virgin, Our Lady of Philermos, support your plans and projects with her maternal protection; may your heavenly protector Saint John the Baptist and Blessed Gérard, as well as the saints and blesseds of the Order, accompany you with their intercession. For my part, I promise to pray for all those present here, for all the members of the Order, as well as the numerous worthy volunteers, including a significant number of children, and for all who work alongside you. Affectionately, I impart to you a special Apostolic Blessing, which I willingly extend to your families.
SHARED FROM RADIO VATICANA
CATHOLIC MOVIES - WATCH THE MOTHER TERESA - PART 6
IN HONOUR OF THE YEAR OF FAITH JCE NEWS WILL BE SHOWING SOME OF THE BEST CATHOLIC FILMS OF ALL TIME - MOTHER TERESA -
EUROPE : RIP FR. GEOFFREY LYNCH OSB - MONK
IND.CATH. NEWS REPORT
SHARED FROM IND. CATH. NEWS
|
SHARED FROM IND. CATH. NEWS
AFRICA : MALI : BISHOP APPEALS FOR DISPLACED
Agenzia Fides REPORT - "The situation is
improving gradually, but the crisis is not over," says to Fides Agency Father
Edmond Dembele, Secretary of the Episcopal Conference of Mali. "There is in
particular an improvement of the security conditions in the big cities of the
north which were freed from jihadi groups. As proved by the visit of the French
President François Hollande in Timbuktu, which was greeted with joy by the
people. "
"The crisis is not over yet," warns Don Dembele. "The conflict is not over and there are delicate operations to be carried out so that the whole north is finally liberated."
"We must not also forget the humanitarian crisis," added the priest. "The escape of civilians from the villages of the north continues because they do not feel safe and because the living conditions remain difficult. Even in the liberated areas there is lack of food and medical care. Then there are displaced people in the south who need assistance. "
His Excellency Monsignor Georges Fonghoro, Bishop of Mopti launched an appeal through Aid to the Church in Need (ACN): "We must act immediately. The needs of the population are enormous. "
According to a note sent to Fides Agency Mgr. Fonghoro sent a letter to the papal foundation in which he denounces the terrible conditions of IDPs and in particular children, many of whom are severely malnourished.
ACS donated to the Diocese of Mopti an initial contribution of € 40 thousand to provide food and medicine to 326 families. "In recent months - continues Monsignor Fonghoro - Malians have suffered a lot, especially in the north of the Country. Now the situation is a bit calmer , but the state of emergency lasted more than three months and many are afraid to return to their villages. " (L.M.)
"The crisis is not over yet," warns Don Dembele. "The conflict is not over and there are delicate operations to be carried out so that the whole north is finally liberated."
"We must not also forget the humanitarian crisis," added the priest. "The escape of civilians from the villages of the north continues because they do not feel safe and because the living conditions remain difficult. Even in the liberated areas there is lack of food and medical care. Then there are displaced people in the south who need assistance. "
His Excellency Monsignor Georges Fonghoro, Bishop of Mopti launched an appeal through Aid to the Church in Need (ACN): "We must act immediately. The needs of the population are enormous. "
According to a note sent to Fides Agency Mgr. Fonghoro sent a letter to the papal foundation in which he denounces the terrible conditions of IDPs and in particular children, many of whom are severely malnourished.
ACS donated to the Diocese of Mopti an initial contribution of € 40 thousand to provide food and medicine to 326 families. "In recent months - continues Monsignor Fonghoro - Malians have suffered a lot, especially in the north of the Country. Now the situation is a bit calmer , but the state of emergency lasted more than three months and many are afraid to return to their villages. " (L.M.)
AUSTRALIA : CHRISTIAN DECISION MAKING WORKSHOPS
Catholic Communications, Sydney
Archdiocese,
7 Feb 2013
Good
decisions, bad decisions; we've all made them! With an abundance of options at
our fingertips these days, making important life decisions isn't easy. If you're
asking questions like, "what career should I pursue?", "is this relationship
right for me?" or "what is my vocation?" it's good to know that you're not
alone, and help is available!
The Christian Decision Making Workshops with Fr Michael de Stoop and Sr Anthony Mary Diago, RSM are back again in 2013. The first free workshop for the year, held on 21 January at the Catholic Adult Education Centre was well attended with 45 participants. "It's the largest attendance we've had so far so it proves these workshops are answering a need," says Vocations Director, Fr Michael de Stoop.
One participant commented, "The workshop touched me deeply in a way that I now want to keep on educating myself and to really find God's path for my life."
The workshop focuses on St. Ignatius' rules for decision making, drawing on real life examples to help illustrate the saint's insights in practice. The workshop is informative and interactive, with small group discussions throughout the day. "I loved hearing people's personal experiences, this really helped me grasp the concepts," said another young woman who attended. Participants are also given a booklet prepared by Fr Michael, which many found to be a valuable resource to which they could refer as a guide during and after the workshop. Anthony, who was one of the young men who attended, wrote on his feedback form: "The quality of the content and the teaching was very high. Fr Michael and Sr Anthony Mary really know what they are teaching, and they are passionate about it. I am blessed to have had the opportunity to attend. When I returned home, mum wanted to know everything about it, and, as I was recalling the information, I was surprised at how much I had learnt and understood!"
7 Feb 2013
CDM Workshop Jan 2013
The Christian Decision Making Workshops with Fr Michael de Stoop and Sr Anthony Mary Diago, RSM are back again in 2013. The first free workshop for the year, held on 21 January at the Catholic Adult Education Centre was well attended with 45 participants. "It's the largest attendance we've had so far so it proves these workshops are answering a need," says Vocations Director, Fr Michael de Stoop.
One participant commented, "The workshop touched me deeply in a way that I now want to keep on educating myself and to really find God's path for my life."
The workshop focuses on St. Ignatius' rules for decision making, drawing on real life examples to help illustrate the saint's insights in practice. The workshop is informative and interactive, with small group discussions throughout the day. "I loved hearing people's personal experiences, this really helped me grasp the concepts," said another young woman who attended. Participants are also given a booklet prepared by Fr Michael, which many found to be a valuable resource to which they could refer as a guide during and after the workshop. Anthony, who was one of the young men who attended, wrote on his feedback form: "The quality of the content and the teaching was very high. Fr Michael and Sr Anthony Mary really know what they are teaching, and they are passionate about it. I am blessed to have had the opportunity to attend. When I returned home, mum wanted to know everything about it, and, as I was recalling the information, I was surprised at how much I had learnt and understood!"
Fr Michael de Stoop
The Christian Decision Making Workshops with Fr Michael de Stoop and Sr Anthony Mary Diago, RSM are back again in 2013. The first free workshop for the year, held on 21 January at the Catholic Adult Education Centre was well attended with 45 participants. "It's the largest attendance we've had so far so it proves these workshops are answering a need," says Vocations Director, Fr Michael de Stoop.
One participant commented, "The workshop touched me deeply in a way that I now want to keep on educating myself and to really find God's path for my life."
The workshop focuses on St. Ignatius' rules for decision making, drawing on real life examples to help illustrate the saint's insights in practice. The workshop is informative and interactive, with small group discussions throughout the day. "I loved hearing people's personal experiences, this really helped me grasp the concepts," said another young woman who attended. Participants are also given a booklet prepared by Fr Michael, which many found to be a valuable resource to which they could refer as a guide during and after the workshop. Anthony, who was one of the young men who attended, wrote on his feedback form: "The quality of the content and the teaching was very high. Fr Michael and Sr Anthony Mary really know what they are teaching, and they are passionate about it. I am blessed to have had the opportunity to attend. When I returned home, mum wanted to know everything about it, and, as I was recalling the information, I was surprised at how much I had learnt and understood!"
Fr Michael de Stoop
If you missed out on the first workshop, there are another 3 dates to choose from in 2013: Wednesday 17th April (CAEC, Lidcombe); Saturday 18th May (All Saints Parish Hall, Liverpool); and Friday 27th September (CAEC Lidcombe).
For more information or to register for these free workshops, contact the Vocation Centre on 9390 5970 or vocations@sydneycatholic.org
SHARED FROM ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY
ASIA : PAKISTAN : INTERFAITH PEACE DIALOGUE - AGENTS OF PEACE
ASIA NEWS REPORT
by Shafique Khokhar
The government should capitalise on the potential of future generations, an interfaith seminar suggests in Faisalabad. School is a key venue to promote harmony and dialogue. Ignorance and lack of education sow hatred and divisions.
Faisalabad (AsiaNews) - The Government of Pakistan ought to capitalise on the potential of young people to promote peace and transform the country politically, socially and economically, this according to the participants in an Islamic-Christian seminar titled the 'Role of youth in promoting peace', organised at the end of January in Faisalabad (Punjab) by Women for Awareness and Motivation (AWAM) in cooperation with the Christian Study Centre (CSC), the Pakistan Girl Guide Association (PGGA) and the Peace and Human Development (PHD) Foundation.
Speaking at the event, CSC project manager Fahmida Saleem noted that "people need to respect, embrace and celebrate diversity among communities rather than reject them". This is important "in order to develop a real culture of peace and tolerance."
PHD Foundation director Suneel Malik agrees. Young peace must be "agents of peace", involved in "positive change".
For PGGA coordinator and AWAM president Amna Eshan, "ignorance and the lack of education" play an "essential role" in sowing interfaith disharmony, a view shared by AWAM director Nazia Sardar who believes that school curriculum "must be purged of the biased material that make it a source of hatred and confessional divisions".
School, she insists, must instead be a privileged place where we can "promote peace, human rights, harmony and tolerance among various religious and ethnic groups."
"Islam and Christianity share various points," said Tahir Iqbal, director of the Lyallpur Development Organisation, a Pakistani NGO that promotes peace, tolerance, harmony and human rights protection.
"People," he explained, "should develop a spirit of dialogue and harmony, removing misunderstandings between faiths."
SHARED FROM ASIA NEWS IT
by Shafique Khokhar
The government should capitalise on the potential of future generations, an interfaith seminar suggests in Faisalabad. School is a key venue to promote harmony and dialogue. Ignorance and lack of education sow hatred and divisions.
Faisalabad (AsiaNews) - The Government of Pakistan ought to capitalise on the potential of young people to promote peace and transform the country politically, socially and economically, this according to the participants in an Islamic-Christian seminar titled the 'Role of youth in promoting peace', organised at the end of January in Faisalabad (Punjab) by Women for Awareness and Motivation (AWAM) in cooperation with the Christian Study Centre (CSC), the Pakistan Girl Guide Association (PGGA) and the Peace and Human Development (PHD) Foundation.
Speaking at the event, CSC project manager Fahmida Saleem noted that "people need to respect, embrace and celebrate diversity among communities rather than reject them". This is important "in order to develop a real culture of peace and tolerance."
PHD Foundation director Suneel Malik agrees. Young peace must be "agents of peace", involved in "positive change".
For PGGA coordinator and AWAM president Amna Eshan, "ignorance and the lack of education" play an "essential role" in sowing interfaith disharmony, a view shared by AWAM director Nazia Sardar who believes that school curriculum "must be purged of the biased material that make it a source of hatred and confessional divisions".
School, she insists, must instead be a privileged place where we can "promote peace, human rights, harmony and tolerance among various religious and ethnic groups."
"Islam and Christianity share various points," said Tahir Iqbal, director of the Lyallpur Development Organisation, a Pakistani NGO that promotes peace, tolerance, harmony and human rights protection.
"People," he explained, "should develop a spirit of dialogue and harmony, removing misunderstandings between faiths."
SHARED FROM ASIA NEWS IT
TODAY'S MASS ONLINE : SAT. FEB. 9, 2013
Mark 6: 30 - 34 | |
| 30 | The apostles returned to Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. |
| 31 | And he said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. |
| 32 | And they went away in the boat to a lonely place by themselves. |
| 33 | Now many saw them going, and knew them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns, and got there ahead of them. |
| 34 | As he went ashore he saw a great throng, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. |
TODAY'S SAINT : FEB. 9 : ST. JUAN DIEGO
(Image share -
Facebook)(source: http://www.ewtn.com/_saints/JuanDiego/index.htm
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