VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 137
DATE 24-07-2014

Summary:
- TELEGRAM FOR THE AVIATION ACCIDENT IN MAGONG
- POPE'S MESSAGE FOR THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARGENTINE SHRINE OF ST. PANTALEON
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

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 TELEGRAM FOR THE AVIATION ACCIDENT IN MAGONG
 Vatican City, 24 July 2014 (VIS) - Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro
Parolin has sent a telegram on behalf of Pope Francis to the archbishop of
Taipei and president of the regional Conference of bishops of China, John
Huong Shan-chuan, with reference to the accident that occurred at Magong
airport, Taiwan, in which a TransAsia Airways aircraft had to make an
emergency landing, resulting in 48 deaths and 10 injured.
 In the text, the Holy Father expresses his sadness for the accident, as
well as his closeness to the relatives of the victims, and assures them of
his prayers for all those affected by the tragedy, asking God to grant them
consolation, strength and peace.

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 POPE'S MESSAGE FOR THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARGENTINE SHRINE OF ST. PANTALEON
 Vatican City, 24 July 2014 (VIS) - The shrine is "a temple that seems
still, but that the people of God carry forward. In this way it has moved
ahead for fifty years in the hearts of the many faithful who have come to
venerate the saint, to implore for health, and to profess their faith. In
this way it has moved into the heart of the area, projecting itself onto
the whole city", said the Pope in the message he sent to the faithful
who will meet in the neighbourhood of Mataderos in Buenos Aires, Argentina,
to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the shrine of St. Pantaleon.
"I ask the Lord to grant you the grace to continue on your path, to
continue this pilgrimage of the heart in the midst of this great
city".
 The Holy Father went on to recall with nostalgia the time during which, as
archbishop of Buenos Aires, he personally visited the parish dedicated to
the doctor saint of Nicomedia. "I wish to be close to you to be able
to relive in some way the occasions in which I was able to visit the shrine
on 27 July to help the priests in confession. I returned home spiritually
strengthened by this witness of faith. The good I received is unimaginable.
And I wish to give thanks for all this good. May the Lord reward you
plentifully".
 The pontiff concluded by assuring the faithful of his closeness and prayer
and asked them to pray for him. "In these days of celebration ... I am
close to you. ... May Jesus bless you and the Holy Virgin protect
you".

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 OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
 Vatican City, 24 July 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Ref. Joy
Alappat as auxiliary of the eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle of Chicago of
the Syro-Malabars (Catholics 87,000, priests 53, religious 31), U.S.A. The
bishop-elect was born in Parappukara, India, in 1956 and was ordained a
priest in 1981. He holds a master's degree in theology from the St.Joseph's
Pontifical Institute, Aluva, and the Adheva University, Wattair, and
completed the Clinical Pastoral Education programme at Georgetown
University, U.S.A. He has held a number of pastoral roles both in India -
in the eparchal cathedral in Chalakudy and as chaplain of the Syro-Malabar
community in Chennai - and in the U.S.A., as chaplain of Georgetown
University, and parish priest in New Milford, Newark and Garfield. He is
currently rector of the eparchal Cathedral in Bellwood, Illinois.

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