VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 140
DATE 28-07-2014

Summary:
- POPE FRANCIS' PRIVATE VISIT TO THE EVANGELICAL PASTOR GIOVANNI TRAETTINO IN CASERTA
- TELEGRAM FOR THE DEATH OF CARDINAL MARCHISANO
- ANGELUS: THE NEED TO READ THE GOSPEL
- POPE FRANCIS' NEW APPEAL FOR PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST, IRAQ AND UKRAINE
- THE POPE WITH THE PRIESTS OF CASERTA
- THE PRIMACY OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND THE COURAGE TO SAY NO TO EVIL
- COMMUNIQUE FROM THE FAMILY OF FR. PAOLO DELL'OGLIO, A YEAR AFTER HIS
DISAPPEARANCE IN SYRIA
- CHALDEANS IN IRAQ: PREPARE, LIKE ABRAHAM, TO LEAVE FOR THE LAND GOD WILL
SHOW TO YOU
- ON THE POPE'S POSSIBLE PARTICIPATION IN THE PHILADELPHIA MEETING OF FAMILIES
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

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 POPE FRANCIS' PRIVATE VISIT TO THE EVANGELICAL PASTOR GIOVANNI TRAETTINO IN CASERTA
 Vatican City, 28 July 2014 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father returned
to Caserta, following his pastoral visit on Saturday, 26 July, to meet
privately with the evangelical pastor Giovanni Traettino, a friend from his
time as archbishop of Buenos Aires.
 The Pontiff arrived in Caserta by helicopter at 10.15 a.m. and, following
a private and reserved meeting at pastor Traettino's house, he met the
community of the Pentecostal evangelical Church at the premises, currently
under construction, of the Pentecostal Church of the Reconciliation. The
Pope dined with the community and is scheduled to return to the Vatican
later this afternoon.

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 TELEGRAM FOR THE DEATH OF CARDINAL MARCHISANO
 Vatican City, 28 July 2014 (VIS) - The Pope has sent a telegram of
condolences to Archbishop Cesare Nosiglia of Turin for the death in Rome
yesterday of Cardinal Francesco Marchisano, archpriest emeritus of St.
Peter's Basilica, at the age of 85.
 "Having heard of the death of Cardinal Francesco Marchisano, an
illustrious son of this land", writes the Pope, "I wish to
express my deepest condolences to your excellency, to the presbytery and
the friends of the lamented Cardinal. I think with affection of this dear
pastor who for many years diligently collaborated with the Apostolic See,
especially in the Congregation for Catholic Education, as archpriest of the
Vatican Basilica, and finally as president of the Labour Office of the
Apostolic See. He leaves us the witness of a life spent in the generous
fulfilment of his vocation, as a priest and a bishop attentive to the needs
of the faithful and sensitive to the worlds of art and culture. I raise
prayers for the eternal repose of his soul, that the Lord may receive him
in joy and eternal peace, and I offer to those who mourn his passing the
comfort of my apostolic blessing".
 The funeral, presided by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of
Cardinals, will be held on Wednesday, 30 July at 8 a.m. at the altar of the
Cathedra of St. Peter's Basilica. At the end of the ceremony, the Holy
Father will administer the rites of "Ultima Commendatio" and of
"Valedictio".

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 ANGELUS: THE NEED TO READ THE GOSPEL
 Vatican City, 27 July 2014 (VIS) - As on every Sunday, Pope Francis
appeared at the window of his study to pray the Angelus with the faithful
gathered in St. Peter's Square. The Pontiff, as in the Mass celebrated the
day before in Caserta, spoke about the two parables about the kingdom of
Heaven: the jewel merchant who finds a pearl of infinite value and sells
everything he owns to buy it, and the farmer who chances upon hidden
treasure and sells all his land to buy the field where it lies. Neither the
merchant nor the farmer have any doubt about their actions as they are
aware of the incomparable value of what they have found.
 "It is the same with the kingdom of God", explained the bishop
of Rome. "He who finds it has no doubt, he knows that he has found
what he sought and awaited, and which answers his most authentic
aspirations. It is truly like this: those who know Jesus, who encounter Him
personally, are fascinated, attracted by such goodness, such truth, such
beauty, and all this in great humility and simplicity. Seeking and finding
Jesus: this is the greatest treasure of all!".
 "How many people, how many saints, reading the Gospel with an open
heart, have been so struck by Jesus that they have converted to Him. Let us
think of St. Francis of Assisi; he was already a Christian, but lukewarm, a
"rose-water" Christian. When he read the Gospel, in a decisive
moment during his youth, he encountered Jesus and discovered the Kingdom of
God, and from then on all his dreams of earthly glory vanished. The Gospel
lets you know the true Jesus, it lets you know the living Jesus; it speaks
to your heart and changes your life. And from then on, he left everything.
You can effectively change the type of life you lead, or continue to do
what you did before, but you are different, you are born again: you have
found that which gives meaning, flavour and light to everything, even to
hardship, suffering and death".
 The Pope went on to repeat the importance of reading a passage from the
Gospel every day; of keeping it in our pockets, our bags, always at hand,
as "everything makes sense when you find this treasure that Jesus
called 'the Kingdom of God': that is, God Who reigns in your life, in our
lives. God is love, peace and joy in every man and in all men. ... Reading
the Gospel means finding Jesus and receiving this Christian joy, which is a
gift from the Holy Spirit".
 "The joy of encountering the treasure of the Kingdom of God becomes
clear, it can be seen", concluded the Pontiff. "The Christian
cannot conceal his faith, as it shines through in every word and every
gesture, even the simplest everyday ones. The love that God has given us
through Jesus shines through. Let us pray, by the intercession of the
Virgin Mary, that His Kingdom of love, justice and peace may come to us and
to all the world".

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 POPE FRANCIS' NEW APPEAL FOR PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST, IRAQ AND UKRAINE
 Vatican City, 27 July 2014 (VIS) - After today's Angelus prayer, the Holy
Father, remarking that tomorrow marks the centenary of the beginning of the
First World War, launched a new appeal for peace in the Middle East, Iraq
and Ukraine, and called for a cessation of hostilities.
 "Tomorrow is the one hundredth anniversary of the outbreak of the
First World War, which claimed millions of lives and caused immense
destruction. This conflict, defined by Pope Benedict XV as a 'senseless
slaughter', persisted for four long years and led to a more fragile peace.
Tomorrow will be a day of mourning in remembrance of this tragedy. While we
remember this tragic event, I hope that we will not repeat the errors of
the past, but will instead pay heed to the lessons of history, ensuring
that the reason of peace always prevails by means of patient and courageous
dialogue".
 "Today, my thoughts extend to three areas of crisis, in particular:
the Middle East, Iraq and Ukraine. I ask you to continue to join with me in
prayer that the Lord may grant the populations and authorities of these
areas the wisdom and strength necessary to proceed with determination along
the path of peace, facing every diatribe with the tenacity of dialogue and
negotiation, and the strength of reconciliation. May the common good and
respect for every person be at the centre of every decision, rather than
particular interests. Let us remember that all is lost with war, but
nothing is lost with peace".
 "Brothers and sisters: no more war! No more war! I think especially
of the children, who are deprived of the hope of a worthwhile life, of a
future: children killed, children injured, children mutilated, children
orphaned, children who have as toys the remnants of war, children who do
not know how to smile. Stop, please! I ask you with all my heart. The time
has come to stop. Stop, please!"

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 THE POPE WITH THE PRIESTS OF CASERTA
 Vatican City, 28 July 2014 (VIS) - The Pope left the Vatican by helicopter
at 3 p.m., arriving at the heliport of the NCO (Non-Commissioned Officers)
School of the Air Force of the Royal Palace of Caserta, where he was
greeted by Bishop Giovanni D'Alise of Caserta and other local authorities.
He then transferred by car to the Palatine Chapel where he was awaited by
the diocesan priests. He set aside his prepared discourse and began a very
intimate conversation with the priests, answering the four questions they
presented to him.
 The Holy Father spoke about the example of unity that bishops must give,
that Jesus asked of His Father for the Church. "This cannot be done
speaking badly about each other. The unity of bishops is important to the
unity of the Church", he said, adding that the devil revels in and
profits from internal conflict. "The bishops must be in agreement in
unity, but not in uniformity. Each one has his charism, each one has his
way of thinking and his point of view; this is at times the result of
mistakes, but it is often the result of the Spirit ... a unity in
diversity, in which no-one loses his own personality".
 The Pope was then asked for suggestions for a pastoral able to relaunch
the primacy of the Gospel without mortifying popular piety. He answered
that "true popular piety was born of that Sensus Fidei described in
the Encyclical Lumen Gentium and which is guided by devotion to the Saints,
to the Virgin, and also by folkloric expressions, in the positive sense of
the word". He added, "the agnosticism that has entered into the
Church in groups of intimist piety" are not good, but are instead a
form of heresy. ... Popular piety is inculturated, it cannot be produced in
a laboratory, aseptic ... it is always born of life".
 Another question focused on the identity of the priest in the third
millennium. "How can we overcome the existential crisis born of the
linguistic, semantic and cultural revolution in evangelical witness?".
"With creativity", replied the Pope. "It is the commandment
that God gave to Adam and Jesus to his disciples. And creativity is found
in prayer. A bishop who does not pray, a priest who does not pray, has
closed the door to creativity". The fourth question related to the
foundations of spirituality for a priest. Francis described the priest's
dual capacity for contemplation: towards God and towards man. "He is a
man who looks, who fills his eyes and heart with contemplation: with the
Gospel before God, and with human problems when among men. The priest must
be contemplative in this way. But this must not be confused with monastic
life, which is something else".
 The Pope emphasised that diocesan life must be at the centre of the
spirituality of the diocesan priest. "Maintaining a relationship with
the bishop and with the rest of the priests ... simple, but at the same
time not easy. The greatest enemy of these relationships is gossip. The
devil knows that this seed bears fruit, and he sows it well ... to impede
that evangelical, spiritual and fruitful relationship between the bishop
and the presbytery". He remarked that it was better to say things
clearly and openly, rather than give satisfaction to the devil who in this
way "attacks the centre of the spirituality of the diocesan
clergy". The Holy Father concluded with some comments on the
bitterness of some priests and the image of an angry Church. "One may
anger at times; it is healthy to be angry at times. But the state of rage
is not God's, and leads only to sadness and disunity".

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