VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 91
DATE 19-05-2014

Summary:
- TO THE BISHOPS OF MEXICO: PROMOTE ENCOUNTER THROUGH DIALOGUE AGAINST VIOLENCE
- BAHRAIN: THE POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION OF THE CHRISTIAN MINORITY
- FRANCIS RECEIVES THE PRIME MINISTER OF POLAND: CONCERN OVER TENSION IN
EASTERN EUROPE
- AIF: SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN THE SUPERVISION OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES IN 2013
- FRANCIS: THE PROBLEM OF CONFLICTS IS HOW TO FACE THEM
- CLOSE TO THOSE WHO SUFFER AS WITNESSES OF THE RESURRECTION
- CARDINAL BENIAMINO STELLA TAKES POSSESSION OF HIS DIACONATE
- EPISCOPAL ORDINATION OF SYNOD UNDER-SECRETARY
- CARDINAL FILONI, POPE'S SPECIAL ENVOY
- AUDIENCES
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

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 TO THE BISHOPS OF MEXICO: PROMOTE ENCOUNTER THROUGH DIALOGUE AGAINST VIOLENCE
 Vatican City, 19 May 2014 (VIS) - This morning Pope Francis received the
bishops of the Mexican Episcopal Conference, in Rome in these days for
their five-yearly "ad limina" visit. At the end of the meeting,
the Holy Father handed them the text of his planned address, extensive
extracts of which are published below, in which he emphasised that fidelity
to Jesus Christ must be lived as committed solidarity with the people and
their needs.
 Before delivering the text, the bishop of Rome emphasised that, despite
the serious problems it faces, the Church in Mexico is "consolidated
on strong pillars", and he urged the bishops always to be faithful to
the "dual transcendence": the first in prayer with the Lord, and
the second with closeness to the people.
 "In recent years, the celebration of the bicentennial of Mexican
independence and the centenary of the Mexican Revolution have offered a
useful occasion for joining forces in favour of social peace and just, free
and democratic co-existence. My predecessor Benedict XVI urged you 'not to
let yourselves be intimidated by the powers of evil, but to be valiant and
to work to ensure that the sap of your Christian roots may nourish your
present and your future'. At the present moment, the many forms of violence
that afflict Mexican society, especially the young, call for a renewed
appeal to promote this spirit of harmony through the culture of encounter,
dialogue and peace. ... It is certainly not for pastors to offer technical
solutions or to adopt policy measures that are outside the scope of their
pastoral ministry; however, they must be tireless in their proclamation, to
all, of the Good News: that God, in his mercy, made Himself a man and made
Himself poor, that he wanted to suffer with those who suffer in order to
save them. Fidelity to Jesus Christ must be lived as committed solidarity
and closeness to the people and their needs, offering Gospel values from
within".
 "I am aware of your work for those most in need ... for those who
work in subhuman conditions, ... migrants in search of better living
conditions, farmers. ... I know of your concern for the victims of drug
trafficking and for the most vulnerable social groups, and your commitment
to the defence of human rights and the full development of the individual.
All this, which is an expression of the 'intimate connection' between the
Gospel and the search for the good of others contributes, without doubt, to
the credibility of the Church and gives relevance to the voice of her
pastors".
 He went on to emphasise that "the mission of the Church can not do
without with the laity. ... I encourage you to promote their secular
responsibility and provide them with adequate training to make visible the
public dimension of faith. In order to achieve this, the social doctrine of
the Church is a valuable tool that can help Christians in their daily
struggle to build a more just and united world. ... In this way, the
difficulties that may arise in the transmission of Christian faith between
generations can also be overcome. The young see with their own eyes the
living witnesses of faith, that truly embody in their life what they
profess with their lips. Furthermore, they then spontaneously generate new
processes of the evangelisation of culture. ... In this regard, the
potential of popular piety constitutes an 'indispensable starting point in
deepening the faith of the people and in bringing it to maturity'."
 The family is the "basic cell of society and the first centre for
evangelisation. ... I urge you to intensify your pastoral care of the
family - certainly, the value that is dearest to your people - so that,
faced with the dehumanising culture of death, it may become a promoter of
the culture of respect for life in all its phases, from conception to
natural death".
 After reminding the prelates of the importance of their proximity to
priests and consecrated persons, and the care that must be offered to their
formation and to future vocations, the bishop of Rome fondly recalled that
in their pastoral plans they had taken on board the Aparecida guidelines,
the seventh anniversary of which falls in these days, emphasising the
importance of the permanent continental mission, "placing all the
pastoral mission of the Church in a missionary mode, and calling upon all
of us to grow in parrhesia. ... In this way", he concluded, "we
can bear witness to Christ in life even among the most distant, and reach
out of ourselves to work with enthusiasm in the task that has been
entrusted to us, keeping our arms lifted in prayer".

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 BAHRAIN: THE POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION OF THE CHRISTIAN MINORITY
 Vatican City, 19 May 2014 (VIS) - Today the Holy Father Francis received
in audience the King of Bahrain, His Majesty Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, who
subsequently met with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin,
accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with
States.
 The cordial discussions focused on various themes of common interest, with
particular reference to the commitment towards peace and stability in the
Middle East, as well as the promotion of dialogue and peaceful co-existence
among all members of society.
 Mention was then made of the Christian community's positive contribution
to the country, and appreciation was expressed for His Majesty's personal
interest in the needs of the local Catholic community.

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 FRANCIS RECEIVES THE PRIME MINISTER OF POLAND: CONCERN OVER TENSION IN
EASTERN EUROPE
 Vatican City, 19 May 2014 (VIS) - The morning in the Vatican Apostolic
Palace the Holy Father Francesco received in audience the prime minister of
the Republic of Poland, Donald Tusk, who subsequently met with Cardinal
Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, accompanied by Archbishop Dominique
Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.
 During the cordial discussions, mention was made of the recent
canonisation of John Paul II, and the relevance of this event for the
Polish nation. The prime minister expressed his pleasure at His Holiness'
planned visit to Poland in 2016, on the occasion of World Youth Day.
Attention then turned to the social and economic situation of the Country.
 Finally, there was an exchange of views on the current international
situation. In particular, concern was expressed regarding the persistent
tensions in eastern Europe.

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 AIF: SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN THE SUPERVISION OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES IN 2013
 Vatican City, 19 May 2014 (VIS) - The Autorit  di Informazione Finanziaria
(AIF) - Financial Intelligence Authority - of the Holy See and the Vatican
City State has presented its Annual Report for 2013. The report reviews the
activities and statistics of AIF for the year 2013.
 The year 2013 has seen a significant strengthening of the legal and
institutional framework of the Holy See and Vatican City State to
effectively combat financial crime, an institutionalisation of
international collaboration of the competent authority of the Holy See with
its foreign counterparts, and a massively improved performance in
monitoring potential financial wrongdoing.
 "In 2013 we have taken further decisive steps to foster the legal
framework, and, at the same time, to make it work in practice," said
Rene Brulhart, Director of the AIF. He continued: "The Evaluation
conducted by Moneyval, the Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of
Anti-Money Laundering Measures and the Financing of Terrorism of the
Council of Europe, in December 2013, and our statistics allow us to say
that today we have a proper and equivalent system in place to prevent and
fight financial crime. A system that is well in line with international
standards".
 The AIF has recorded a notable uptake in suspicious transaction reports
(STR), from 6 in 2012 to 202 in 2013. This increase reflects both the
development of the legal framework and a substantial improvement in the
operational performance of the supervised entities with regard to the
prevention of financial crime. Five reports have been passed on to the
Vatican Promoter of Justice for further investigation by judicial
authorities.
 The number of requests from AIF submitted to foreign authorities has
increased from 1 in 2012 to 28; the number of requests received by the AIF
from foreign authorities has risen from 3 in 2012 to 53 in 2013. "This
increase is also due to international cooperation fostered by a series of
bilateral agreements we have concluded," said Brulhart. In 2013, AIF
became a member of the Egmont Group, the global network of Financial
Intelligence Units, and signed various bilateral agreements to
institutionalize mutual collaboration in the area of anti-money laundering
and combating financing of terrorism. Memoranda of Understanding have been
signed with Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia and the United
States.
 As already observed in 2012, the number of declarations of cash above the
amount of EUR 10,000 has decreased again in 2013 to 1,557 declarations for
outgoing cash (2012: 1,782) and 550 declarations for incoming cash (2012:
598). This is due to an increased monitoring by the competent authorities
and the introduction of reinforced procedures at the supervised entities.
 By way of two Motu Proprio in July and August 2013, the Holy Father
extended the competencies of the Holy See authorities, particularly AIF,
and aligned the legal framework with international standards. By way of a
third Motu Proprio in November 2013, the Holy Father responded to the
requirements set forth by the extension of responsibilities of the AIF by
issuing a new Statute for the AIF. In essence, the new Statute has built
the AIF on two pillars, supervision and financial intelligence, and has
clarified some aspects with regard to the governance, e.g. required
professional and financial skills for key personnel of the AIF's bodies.

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