* Original message posted in: VATICAN.
* Crossposted in: IN_CATHOLIC.

VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE

TWENTIETH YEAR - N. 214
ENGLISH
WEDNESDAY, 1 DECEMBER 2010

SUMMARY:

- Julian of Norwich: Primacy of Divine Love
- Pope Makes an Appeal for the Church in China
- Cardinal Bertone Addresses OSCE Summit in Kazakhstan
- Holy See Statement on Pontifical Academy of Sciences
- Other Pontifical Acts
- Audiences

___________________________________________________________

JULIAN OF NORWICH: PRIMACY OF DIVINE LOVE

VATICAN CITY, 1 DEC 2010 (VIS) - During today's general audience Benedict
XVI spoke about Julian of Norwich, a great English mystic who lived
approximately between 1342 and 1430, "difficult years", the Holy Father
remarked, "both for the Church, lacerated by the schism that followed the
Pope's return from Avignon to Rome, and for people's everyday lives which
were suffering the consequences of a long war between the kingdoms of
England and France".

  In 1373, during a period of serious illness, Julian received sixteen
revelations on the love of God. "Inspired by divine love, Julian made a
radical choice. Like an ancient anchoress, she chose to live in a cell
located near the church of St. Julian in the city of Norwich".

  "Anchoresses, or 'recluses', dedicated themselves to prayer, meditation
and study within their cells. In this way they came to acquire a very
delicate human and religious sensibility which led to their being venerated
by the people; and men and women of all ages and conditions, in need of
counsel and comfort, devotedly sought them out".

  Benedict XVI went on: "Women and men who chose to withdraw and live in the
company of God acquire, precisely because of this choice, a great sense of
compassion for the suffering and weakness of others. Friends of God, they
enjoy a wisdom which the world they have left does not possess, and they
willingly share this with those who knock at their door. Thus I think with
admiration and gratitude of the monasteries of cloistered women and men
which, today more than ever, are oases of peace and hope, a precious
treasure for the entire Church, especially inasmuch as they recall the
primacy of God and the importance that intense and constant prayer has for
the journey of faith".

  Julian's book "Revelations of Divine Love", contains "an optimistic
message based on the certainty that we are loved by God and protected by His
Providence". She "compares divine love with maternal love. This is one of
the most characteristic messages of her mystical theology. The tenderness,
solicitude and sweetness of God's goodness towards us are so great that to
us, pilgrims on the earth, they seem as the love of a mother for her
children".

  "Julian of Norwich understood the central message of spiritual life: that
God is love. Only when we open ourselves totally to this love, only when we
allow it to become the one guide to our existence, does everything become
transfigured and do we find true peace and joy which we can pass on to
others".

  "The Catechism of the Catholic Church", the Holy Father explained,
"contains words of Julian of Norwich, expounding the point of view of the
Catholic faith on a subject that never ceases to arouse the concern of
believers. If God is supremely good and wise, why does evil exist, why do
the innocent suffer? ... Yet in the mysterious designs of Providence, even
from evil God can draw a greater good. As Julian of Norwich wrote: 'I was
taught by the grace of God that I should steadfastly keep me in the faith,
and that at the same time I should ... earnestly believe that all manner of
thing shall be well'".

  "God's promises are always greater that our expectations. If we commend
the purest and deepest desires of our heart to God and to His immense love,
we will never be disappointed, and 'all manner of thing shall be well'. This
is the final message", the Pope concluded, "which Julian of Norwich
transmits to us and which I too propose to you today".
AG/                                                                     VIS
20101201 (610)

POPE MAKES AN APPEAL FOR THE CHURCH IN CHINA

VATICAN CITY, 1 DEC 2
010 (VIS) - Following his catechesis in today's general
audience, Benedict XVI made some remarks concerning the situation of the
Church in China.

  "To your prayers", he told the faithful gathered in the Paul VI
Hall, "and
to those of Catholics all over the world, I entrust the Church in China
which, as you know, is experiencing particularly difficult moments. Let us
ask the Blessed Virgin Mary, Help of Christians, to support all Chinese
bishops, who are so dear to me, that they may bear courageous witness to
their faith, placing all their hope in the Saviour Whom we await. Let us
also entrust to the Virgin all the Catholics of that beloved country so
that, through her intercession, they may live a truly Christian existence in
communion with the universal Church, thus also contributing to the harmony
and common good of their noble people".
AG/                                                                     VIS
20101201 (160)

CARDINAL BERTONE ADDRESSES OSCE SUMMIT IN KAZAKHSTAN

VATICAN CITY, 1 DEC 2010 (VIS) - Made public today was the address delivered
by Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. before the summit
meeting of heads of State and government of the fifty-six members of the
Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), being held in
Astana, Kazakhstan, on 1 and 2 December.

  Cardinal Bertone affirmed that the Holy See "does not cease to reiterate
that the aim of States should be to protect and respect that human dignity
which unites the entire human family. This unity is rooted in four
fundamental principles: the centrality of the human person, of solidarity,
of subsidiarity and of the common good. These principles harmonise well with
the overall concept of security, which is the foundation of our
organisation, and are a constant reminder which the political community must
bear in mind".

  "The CSCE and the OSCE have always had the promotion and protection of
human rights in their respective agendas", said Cardinal Bertone. "These
fundamental freedoms include the right to religious freedom. ...
Developments of recent years and the progress made in drafting the various
texts adopted by the OSCE show, with increasingly clarity, that religious
freedom can exist in different social systems".

  "Closely related to the denial of religious freedom is
religiously-motivated intolerance and discrimination, especially against
Christians. It is well documented that Christians are the most discriminated
and persecuted religious group. Over 200 million of them, belonging to
different denominations, live in difficult conditions because of legal and
cultural structures".

  Referring then to the subject of human trafficking, the cardinal secretary
of State pointed out that "the Holy See has always been aware of the
seriousness of this crime, a modern form of slavery. ... To prevent
trafficking in human beings today, use is often made of stricter immigration
policies, increased border controls and combating organised crime. However
as long as its victims, once repatriated, find themselves in the same
conditions from which they sought to escape, the traffic will not be easy to
stop. Thus, anti-trafficking initiatives must also aim to develop and offer
effective opportunities to break the cycle of poverty-abuse-exploitation".

  Finally the cardinal underlined the ongoing validity of the "ten
principles" of the Helsinki Conference, stressing that "the commitments
agreed by the OSCE are strong and noble. They are supported by a robust
mandate and by the principle of consent. The Holy See reaffirms these
commitments and encourages the organisation to stand firm on them".
SS/                                                                     VIS
20101201 (420)

HOLY SEE STATEMENT ON PONTIFICAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

VATICAN CITY, 1 DEC 2010 (VIS) - Given below is the English-language text of
a declaration made by Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi
S.J. in response to questions about the final declaration of a study week
sponsored by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences on the subje
ct: "Transgenic
Plants for Food Security in the Context of Development":

  "The study week took place at the headquarters of the Pontifical Academy
of Sciences from 15 to 19 May 2009, with the participation of forty
scholars, seven of whom are Pontifical Academicians (out of a total of
eighty), including the late president, Professor Nicola Cabibbo. The other
participants were outside experts.

  "The final statement, now published by Elsevier in the Acts of the Study
Week, was signed by the participants and thus has the value of their
academic authority.

  "However, the statement must not be considered as a statement of the
Pontifical Academy of Sciences, which has eighty members, because the
academy, as such, has never been consulted about it nor is such a
consultation planned.

  "Furthermore, the statement cannot be considered as an official position
of the Holy See or of the Magisterium of the Church on the topic".
OP/                                                                     VIS
20101201 (210)

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 1 DEC 2010 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

 - Accepted the resignation from the pastoral carte of the archdiocese of
Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo, presented by Archbishop Floribert
Songasonga Mwitwa, in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon
Law. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Archbishop Jean-Pierre Tafunga Mbayo
S.D.B.

 - Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of
Trenton, U.S.A., presented by Bishop John Mortimer Smith, upon having
reached the age limit. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Bishop David M.
O'Connell C.M.

 - Accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary of the archdiocese
of Saint Louis, U.S.A., presented by Bishop Robert J. Hermann, upon having
reached the age limit.

 - Appointed Msgr. Edward M. Rice of the clergy of the archdiocese of Saint
Louis, U.S.A., director of vocations to the priesthood, as auxiliary of the
same archdiocese (area 15,451, population 2,211,707, Catholics 572,000,
priests 716, permanent deacons 262, religious 1,983). The bishop-elect was
born in Saint Louis in 1960 and ordained a priest in 1987.
RE:NEA/                                                         VIS 20101201
(180)

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, 1 DEC 2010 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience
Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, president of Equatorial Guinea.
AP/                                                                     VIS
20101201 (30)

 - Origin: VIS - Ufficio Stampa della Santa Sede (1:396/3) 
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