VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 106
DATE 08-06-2015

Summary:
- To the prelates of Puerto Rico: the Church, by virtue of her mission, is not
linked to any political system
- Tenth meeting of the Council of Cardinals
- Audience with the president of Argentina
- Angelus: those who are nourished by the bread of Christ cannot be indifferent
to those without daily bread
- Francis urges recognition of the rights of childhood
- Apostolic trip to Sarajevo
- Francis meets the clergy of Sarajevo: the pastoral ministry of hope
- Ecumenical and interreligious meeting: dialogue cannot be confined to the
leaders of religious communities
- The Pope to the young of Bosnia and Herzegovina: keep the hope that inspires
life
- The Pope interviewed by journalists during return flight from Sarajevo
- Pilgrimage is a symbol of life
- Cardinals Menichelli and Macario do Nascimento Clemente to take possession of
their titular churches
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts

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 To the prelates of Puerto Rico: the Church, by virtue of her mission, is not
linked to any political system
 Vatican City, 8 June 2015 (VIS) - The prelates of the Puerto Rican Episcopal
Conference were received in audience by Pope Francis this morning, at the end of
their "ad Limina" visit. In the written discourse he handed to the bishops,
Francis recalls that one of the first dioceses of the American continent was
founded on this Caribbean archipelago, and he invites them to be "heralds of the
Gospel and custodians of the hopes of the people", called to "continue
inscribing the work of God in the local Churches, inspired by a spirit of
ecclesial communion, ensuring that faith grows and the light of the truth shines
in our days too".
 "Spend your energy not in divisions and conflicts, but rather in building and
collaborating", the Pope advises. "Be aware that the more intense
your communion
is, the more the mission is encouraged. Know how to keep a distance from any
form of ideological or political trend that may lead you to waste time and your
true zeal for the Kingdom of God. The Church, by virtue of her mission, is not
linked to any political system, enabling her always to be a sign and safeguard
of the transcendent nature of the human person".
 "The bishop is a model for his priests, and I encourage them always to seek
spiritual renewal and to discover anew the joy of ministering to the flock
within the great family of the Church", Francis observes. "Before
the upcoming
Jubilee of Mercy, I urge first you and then your priests to be faithful servants
of God's forgiveness, especially in the sacrament of Reconciliation, which
allows God's love to be experienced in the flesh and offers every penitent the
source of true inner peace".
 With reference to the task of the laity, the Pope reminds the bishops that
"facilitating the sacramental life of the faithful and offering them an adequate
continuing formation enables them to fulfil their mission", and he expresses his
hope that, "encouraged by the example of distinguished laypersons such as
Blessed Carlos Manuel Rodriguez Santiago, model of commitment and apostolic
service, or the venerable master Rafael Cordero y Molina, they may continue
along the path of a joyful adherence to the Gospel, deepening the social
doctrine of the Church and participating lucidly and serenely in the public
debates regarding the society in which they live".
 The Pope also remarks that one of the initiatives that must be increasingly
consolidated is that of the pastoral ministry of the family, "afflicted by
serious social problems: the difficult economic situation, migration, domestic
violence, unemployment, drug trafficking and corruption. These are issues that
give rise to concern. Let me to draw your attention to the value and beauty of
marriage. ... The differences between man and women are not of the order of
opposition or subordination, but rather communion and generation, always as the
image and semblance of God. Without mutual commitment, neither of the two will
be able to understand the other in depth. The sacrament of marriage is a sign of
God's love for humanity and Christ's commitment to His Bride, the Church. Take
care of this treasure, as one of the most important of the Latin American and
Caribbean peoples".

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 Tenth meeting of the Council of Cardinals
 Vatican City, 8 June 2015 (VIS) - This morning, the Holy Father's tenth meeting
with the Council of Cardinals began. The "Council of Nine" will
continue its
work until Wednesday 10 June.

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 Audience with the president of Argentina
 Vatican City, 7 June 2015 (VIS) - This afternoon Pope Francis received the
president of Argentina, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, in private audience. The
very cordial meeting lasted for more than an hour and a half and took place in
the Pope's study next to the Paul VI Hall. The president once again expressed
the affection and closeness of the Argentine people to the Pope and asked for
his blessing for all their compatriots.
 Following the meeting, in the adjacent hall, the Pope greeted the large
delegation accompanying the president on her visit, which will continue tomorrow
with their attendance at the Conference of the FAO, meetings with the Italian
authorities and finally a visit to the EXPO in Milan.
 President Fernandez de Kirchner gave the Pope a number of very meaningful
gifts: a large painting of the blessed bishop and martyr Oscar Arnulfo Romero by
the Argentine artist Eugenio Cuttica; a book by Alberto Methol Ferre, an author
greatly admired by the Holy Father ("Los estados continentales y el
Mercosur");
an edition of the famous national poem "Martin Fierro",
occasionally quoted by
the Pope in his discourses; two bas-reliefs for the blind or partially-sighted,
with the title in braille, depicting the Virgin of Lujan, and a portrait of the
Pope; a basket of typical Argentine products and a volume on the architectural
heritage of Argentina, published on the occasion of the Bicentenary.
 The Pope's gift was a reproduction of a beautiful eleventh-century Russian icon
representing the "Our Lady of Tenderness".
 This is the fifth time - including the inauguration of Francis' papacy and
World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro - that the Argentine president has met with
the Holy Father.

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 Angelus: those who are nourished by the bread of Christ cannot be indifferent
to those without daily bread
 Vatican City, 7 June 2015 (VIS) - At midday today - the Solemnity of the Most
Holy Body and Blood of Christ, or according to the better known Latin
expression, Corpus Domini - the Pope appeared at the window of his study to pray
the Angelus with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square.
 Francis commented on the Gospel reading of this Sunday's liturgy, which
narrates the institution of the Eucharist during the Last Supper, when Jesus,
pronouncing the words, "Take; this is my body", assigns to the
bread a function
"that is not solely that of simple physical nourishment, but rather that of
being present in his Person in the midst of the community of believers".
 The Last Supper is "the point of arrival of all of Christ's life. It is not
merely the anticipation of His sacrifice that will be fulfilled on the Cross,
but also the synthesis of an existence offered for the salvation of all of
humanity". Therefore, "when we eat this bread, we are associated
with Jesus'
life, we enter into communion with Him, we undertake to achieve communion among
ourselves, and to transform our life into a gift, especially to the poorest".
 "Today's Solemnity evokes this fraternal message, and urges us to welcome the
invitation to conversion and to service, to love and to forgiveness. It inspires
us to convert, with our life, into imitators of what we celebrate in the
liturgy. Christ, Who nourishes us in the form of the consecrated bread and wine,
is the same Whom we encounter in daily events. ... He is in every human being,
even the smallest and most defenceless. The Eucharist, the source of love for
the life of the Church, is a school of charity and solidarity. Those who are
nourished by the Bread of Christ cannot remain indifferent before those without
daily bread. Today, we are aware, this is an increasingly serious problem",
Francis concluded.

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 Francis urges recognition of the rights of childhood
 Vatican City, 8 June 2015 (VIS) - After praying the Angelus, the Pope recalled
his recent visit to Sarajevo, a symbolic city that was for centuries known for
the co-existence of peoples and religions, to the extent that it earned the name
"Jerusalem of the West", but in the recent past has transformed
into a symbol of
destruction and war. "A good process of reconciliation is now in process, and
for this reason above all I went there: to encourage this path of peaceful
co-existence between difference populations; a strenuous path, difficult but
possible. And they are doing this well. I wish to again thank the authorities
and citizens for their warm welcome, ... the dear Catholic community, to whom I
wished to take the affection of the universal Church, and in particular, all the
faithful: Orthodox, Muslim, Jews and those of other religious minorities. I
appreciated the commitment to collaboration and solidarity among these people
who belong to different religions, inspiring everyone to carry forward the work
of the spiritual and moral reconstruction of society. They work together as true
brothers".
 The Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus will be celebrated next Friday, and
the Holy Father therefore invited all to think of Christ's immense love. World
Day against Child Labour will be held on the same day. "Many children throughout
the world do not have the freedom to play or to go to school, and end up being
exploited as cheap labour", he said. "I hope that the
international community
will commit itself diligently and constantly to promoting the active recognition
of childhood rights".

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 Apostolic trip to Sarajevo

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 Francis meets the clergy of Sarajevo: the pastoral ministry of hope
 Vatican City, 6 June 2015 (VIS) - The Cathedral of Sarajevo, consecrated to the
Sacred Heart, was the location of the Pope's meeting with priests, men and women
religious, and seminarians of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The building, damaged
during the siege of Sarajevo, was subsequently restored and is now able to hold
250 people. At the entrance there is a statue of St. John Paul II to commemorate
his visit in 1997.
 Francis was welcomed by the rector of the Cathedral and greeted by the cardinal
archbishop of Sarajevo, Vinko Puljic. He paused for a moment to worship the Holy
Sacrament and prayed silently before the tomb of the Servant of God Josip

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