VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXIV - # 84
DATE 08-05-2014

Summary:
- THE POPE RECEIVES HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II AND RECALLS ARMENIA'S 20TH
CENTURY MARTYRS
- CARDINAL PAROLIN AT THE SHRINE OF THE VIRGIN OF THE ROSARY AT POMPEII: NO
PROBLEM CAN BANISH HOPE
- COMMUNIQUE ON FALSE VATICAN CONTRACTS
- MEETING OF THE PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE WITH DIYANET
- AUDIENCES
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

___________________________________________________________

 THE POPE RECEIVES HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II AND RECALLS ARMENIA'S 20TH CENTURY MARTYRS
 Vatican City, 8 May 2014 (VIS) - "In the person of Your Holiness I
extend my respectful and affectionate thoughts to the members of the family
of the Catholicate of All Armenians throughout the world. It is a special
grace for us to be able to meet in this house, close to the tomb of the
Apostle Peter, and to share a moment of fraternity and prayer".
 Pope Francis thus began his greeting to His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme
Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, in a meeting that took place
this morning. He went on to mention how the links between the Armenian
Apostolic Church and the Church of Rome have been consolidated during
recent years thanks to events such as John Paul II's trip to Armenia in
2001, the presence of the Patriarch in the Vatican on various occasions
such as the official visit to Benedict XVI in 2008 and the beginning of
Pope Francis' ministry as bishop of Rome in 2013.
 "However", he added, I would like to recall another celebration,
rich in meaning, in which Your Holiness took part: the Commemoration of the
Witnesses of faith in the twentieth century, which took place within the
context of the Great Jubilee of 2000. In truth, the number of disciples who
have shed blood for Christ in the tragic events of the last century is
certainly higher than that of the martyrs of the first centuries, and the
sons of the Armenian nation have a place of honour in this martyrology. The
mystery of the Cross, so dear to the memory of your people, represented in
the splendid stone crosses that adorn every corner of your land, has been
lived by countless sons of yours, directly participating in the chalice of
the Passion. Their witness, both tragic and lofty, must not be
forgotten".
 "The suffering of Christians during recent decades has also made a
unique and inestimable contribution to the cause of unity between Christ's
disciples. As in the ancient Church the blood of martyrs became the seed of
new Christians, in our days too the blood of many Christians has become the
seed of unity. The ecumenism of suffering and martyrdom is a powerful
reminder to walk the path of reconciliation between the Churches,
decisively and trustfully surrendering ourselves to the action of the
Spirit. Let us feel the duty of following this path of fraternity also for
the debt of gratitude we have towards the suffering of so many of our
brothers, which has become salvific by being united with the passion of
Christ".
 In this respect, the Pope thanked Karekin II for his effective support for
ecumenical dialogue, and in particular the work of the Joint Commission for
theological dialogue between the Catholic Church and the oriental Orthodox
Churches, and for the significant theological contribution to the
Commission offered by the representatives of the Catholicate of All
Armenians.
 "Let us pray for each other", concluded the bishop of Rome.
"May the Holy Spirit enlighten us and guide us towards longed-for day
in which we may share in the Eucharist. And may the All Holy Mother of God
intercede for the Armenian population, now and for ever".
 Following the meeting, Pope Francis and His Holiness Karekin prayed
together in the Redemptoris Mater Chapel.

___________________________________________________________

 CARDINAL PAROLIN AT THE SHRINE OF THE VIRGIN OF THE ROSARY AT POMPEII: NO
PROBLEM CAN BANISH HOPE
 Vatican City, 8 May 2014 (VIS) - Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro
Parolin celebrated Holy Mass this morning at the Shrine of the Blessed
Virgin Mary of the Holy Rosary at Pompeii, Italy, a place of Marian
devotion, where on 8 May every year thousands of faithful participate in
reciting the Supplication to the Virgin, a prayer composed in 1883 by
Blessed Bartolo Longo, founder of the Shrine who visited St. John Paul II
in 1979 and in 2003 and by Benedict XVI in 2008.
 "We are in a place where charity has pitched her tent", said the
cardinal in his homily, "and has taken root as a constitutive element
in a history of faith that continues to look ahead, driven by the powerful
force of its humble origin: here the prayer, the chaplet of the Rosary of
which the founder Bartolo Longo was an apostle, encountered a situation of
an entirely different type; of poverty and neglect, injustice and
oppression. Man's dignity was trampled and the poor, the last in line, were
barely considered".
 Charity "has opened the doors, has thrown them wide open to hope,
giving rise to a new era. No problem, no fear, no matter how strong or
reasonable it may be, can drive away a hope that here is made manifest as
concrete, made up of works that speak the language of a charity that
transforms, constructs and renews. This remains true even though what we
experience today does not protect us from trouble and distress, such as the
danger of a forever-lurking violence, or the scarce and uncertain job
prospects for our young people, for whom not only the current economic
crisis, but also delays deep-seated and structural delays make it difficult
to look to the future with serenity and confidence".
 The cardinal emphasised three important concepts which may help us to
understand what the Lord wishes to say to us every day. The first is that
of proclaiming our faith. The prelate mentioned Peter, who was "pulled
along by Jesus into an adventure that was greater than him", with his
fears and frail humanity, but with the help of the Lord who sent the Holy
Spirit to the Apostles gathered in the Cenacle, he found the strength to
proclaim the Kingdom of God. He also mentioned Mary, "humble servant
of the Lord and mother of our faith". "We are all baptised and
have received, in Confirmation, the gift of the Holy Spirit", he
continued. "Let us make this gift bear fruit. Let us proclaim our
faith like St. Peter. Even if this costs us dearly, as it did him".
 The second concept is to put our faith into practice - that is, to love
our neighbour. "It is precisely this that is at the heart of our
faith. This is the revolution Jesus brought. Mutual love is the commandment
he gave to his followers before dying, defining it as 'his' and 'new'. It
is, therefore, the very essence of his teaching". The cardinal
explained that the name "New" Pompeii indicated not only the
temporal distance between the ancient and splendid excavated city, but also
the territory of the desolate Valley that Bartolo Longo encountered, and
made the starting point for a "new beginning". The founder was
aware of the need to put faith into practice, and made the prayer of the
Rosary the central pillar of the Shrine, a "house of the faith and
hope of a new people".
 Being a light for the world - mission - was the final concept set forth by
the secretary of State, who emphasised that, as exhorted by Pope Francis,
"we must bring this light, this truth to the world, to bear witness to
it and to proclaim it to all, and do so with joy". To put these
concepts into effect, Cardinal Parolin encouraged those present to look to
Mary "who welcomed the gift that God gave her and brought it into the
world. In the Magnificat, she professed her faith, living at the same time
the concrete love for her brethren. She followed Jesus to the end, below
the Cross, as his Stabat, living witness of the light of faith, and even
today she continues to give to her children".
 The Cardinal concluded, "let us entrust to Mary ... all our worries,
our anxieties, our needs. Let us pray for the Church, for Pope Francis ...
for the whole world, and for peace. May the Child we see on Mary's lap and
the mystical crown we see in her hand inspire in us the confidence that we
will be heard".

___________________________________________________________

 COMMUNIQUE ON FALSE VATICAN CONTRACTS
 Vatican City, 8 May 2014 (VIS) - The following is the full text of a
communique published today by the Governorate of Vatican City State.
 "In recent days there has been a series of troubling reports
regarding companies which, boasting official assignments received by the
Governorate of Vatican City State, are offering false contracts for
employment by the same Governorate or with other companies providing
services within the State.
 The Governorate advises that all offers of employment of this type be
regarded with suspicion. Recruitment procedures are never entrusted to
third parties and, furthermore, new appointments are not expected at this
time.
 It is sadly evident that there are those who take advantage of the good
faith of many young people and their families, especially in this period of
crisis.
 The Governorate advises that episodes of this type be reported to the
competent Italian authorities and that a copy of the report be forwarded to
the Vatican Gendarmeria, and expresses its hope that these serious offences
will cease".

___________________________________________________________

 MEETING OF THE PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE WITH DIYANET
 Vatican City, 8 May 2014 (VIS) - The Pontifical Council for Interreligious
Dialogue, along with the Presidency of Religious Affairs in Turkey
(Diyanet) has organised a meeting to explore the possibility of
collaboration between the two entities, as proposed in 2002. The meeting
will take place in the premises of the above dicastery during these days.
 In September 2012, Fr. Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot, secretary of the
Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, during an interview in
Turkey with the president of Diyanet, aired the idea of relaunching a
proposal for collaboration. Therefore, in May 2013, along with Msgr. Khaled
Akasheh, head of the Islamic Department, he will pay a courtesy visit to
the president of Diyanet, Mehmet Gormez, in order to establish the terms of
a formal collaboration between the two entities.
 The meeting will offer the opportunity to deepen mutual knowledge and to
evaluate further perspectives for dialogue.

___________________________________________________________

 AUDIENCES
 Vatican City, 8 May 2014 (VIS) - Today the Holy Father received in audience:
 - Archbishop Antonio Guido Filipazzi, apostolic nuncio in Indonesia.
 - Nine prelates of the Bishops' Conference of Ethiopia and Eritrea on
their "ad limina" visit:
 Metropolitan Archbishop Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel of Addis Abeba,
with his auxiliary, Bishop Lisane-Christos Matheos Semahun;
 Bishop Abune Tesfaselassie Medhin of Adigrat;
 Bishop Menghesteab Tesfamariam, M.C.C.I., of Asmara, Eritrea;
 Bishop Thomas Osman, O.F.M. Cap., of Barentu, Eritrea;
 Bishop Musie Ghebreghiorghis, O.F.M. Cap., of Emdeber;
 Bishop Kidane Yebio of Keren, Eritrea;
 Bishop Fikremariam Hagos Tsalim of Segheneity, Eritrea;
 Bishop Giovanni Migliorati, M.C.C.I., apostolic vicar of Awasa.

___________________________________________________________

 OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
 Vatican City, 8 May 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Msgr.
Camillo Cibotti, vicar-general of the archdiocese of Chieti-Vasto, as
bishop of Isernia-Venafro (area 740, population 63,000, Catholics 62,000,
priests 72, permanent deacons 10, religious 68), Italy. The bishop-elect
was born in Casalbordino, Italy in 1954 and was ordained a priest in 1978.
He has served in a number of pastoral roles, including parish priest in
Liscia, spiritual father at the regional seminary, priest at Ripa Teatina,
and at the parish of the Santissima Trinità dei Pellegrini in Chieti and
rector of the Church of San Domenico in Chieti. He has also served as
professor of moral theology at the Abruzzo-Molise theological institute,
episcopal vicar for the laity and assistant to the diocesan board for the
laity. He was named Chaplain of his Holiness in 2005.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site:
www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS):  the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially quoting the
source:  V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service.
http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html

--- MPost/386 v1.21