VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 119
DATE 26-06-2014

Summary:
- YOUNG ASTRONOMERS, PROMOTERS OF PEACE AND JUSTICE
- MAY THE ORIENTAL CHURCH MAINTAIN THE CERTAINTY THAT THE FIRE OF THE
PENTECOST PREVAILS OVER HATRED
- PRESENTATION OF THE INSTRUMENTUM LABORIS FOR THE NEXT SYNOD ASSEMBLY IN OCTOBER
- DELEGATION FROM ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE TO VISIT ROME
- AUDIENCES

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 YOUNG ASTRONOMERS, PROMOTERS OF PEACE AND JUSTICE
 Vatican City, 26 June 2014 (VIS) - "Seeing all of you here today is
like looking at a marvellous mosaic made up of people from throughout the
world. It is only right that men and women everywhere should have access to
research and scientific training", said the Pope to young astronomers
from 23 different countries who are currently participating in a course
organised by the Vatican Observatory School in Astrophysics on the theme
"Galaxies: Near and Far, Young and Old", whom he received in
audience this morning. "The hope that one day all peoples will be able
to enjoy the benefits of science is one which spurs all of us on,
scientists in particular".
 He commented that the Vatican Observatory School in Astrophysics is
"a place where young people the world over can engage in dialogue and
collaboration, helping one another in the search for truth, which in this
case is concretised in the study of galaxies. This simple and practical
initiative shows how the sciences can be a fitting and effective means for
promoting peace and justice. Here too we see a further reason for the
Church's commitment to dialogue with the sciences on the basis of the light
provided by faith: it is her conviction that faith is capable of both
expanding and enriching the horizons of reason. In this dialogue, the
Church rejoices in the marvellous progress of science, seeing it as a sign
of the enormous God-given potential of the human mind, even as a mother
rejoices and is rightly proud as her children grow in wisdom, and age and
grace".
 The Holy Father encouraged those present to share the knowledge they have
acquired about the universe with people in their own countries. "Only
a fraction of the global population has access to such knowledge, which
opens the heart and the mind to the great questions which human beings have
always asked: Where do we come from? Where are we going?" he
concluded. "The search for an answer to these questions can lead us to
an encounter with the Creator, the loving Father, for 'in him we live and
move and have our being'".

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 MAY THE ORIENTAL CHURCH MAINTAIN THE CERTAINTY THAT THE FIRE OF THE
PENTECOST PREVAILS OVER HATRED
 Vatican City, 26 June 2014 (VIS) - The Pope embraces all the Churches of
the East and is close to their faithful, whose tears, fears and hopes are
also ours, a sentiment he manifested this morning, receiving in audience
the participants in the assembly of the Reunion of Aid Agencies for the
Oriental Churches, also recalling the comfort, encouragement, and at the
same time, the responsibility he encountered during his recent pilgrimage
to the Holy Land.
 "The olive tree which I planted in the Vatican Gardens together with
the Patriarch of Constantinople and the Presidents of Israel and Palestine,
is a symbol of that peace which is secure and enduring only because it is
cultivated by many hands. Those who would cultivate the plant of peace must
never forget that God alone gives the growth. True peace, the peace which
the world cannot give, is a gift to us from Jesus Christ. For all the
grievous attacks it endures today, peace can always flourish again. I am
grateful that you continue to 'make peace grow' through charity, which is
the ultimate aim of all your organizations. With unity and charity Christ's
disciples strive to be peacemakers everywhere, in all peoples and
communities, and to overcome persistent forms of discrimination, starting
with those based on religion".
 "First among those called to be peacemakers are our brothers and
sisters of the Oriental Churches, together with their pastors. Hoping at
times against all hope, remaining in the place of their birth where the
Gospel of the incarnate Son of God was first proclaimed, may they
experience the blessedness reserved to those who are peacemakers: 'they
will be called children of God'. And may they always feel the support of
the universal Church and never falter in their conviction that the fire of
Pentecost, the power of Love, can halt the fire of arms, hatred and
vengeance", he exclaimed. "Their tears and their anguish are
ours, as well as their hope! We can express this through our solidarity, if
it is one which is concrete and effective, capable of ensuring that the
international community upholds the rights of individuals and
peoples".
 Francis expressed the closeness of the Catholic Church to the brothers and
sisters in Syria and Iraq, along with their bishops and priests. "The
Church is likewise close to our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land and
the Middle East, but also to the beloved people of Ukraine in the critical
situation in which they find themselves, and to the people of Romania. This
closeness and concern is expressed in the works which your agencies carry
out. I urge you to continue your generous efforts to help them. Your works
of relief and assistance in nations most affected by these crises respond
to basic needs, particularly of those who are powerless and most
vulnerable, as well as the many young people tempted to leave their
homeland. And since communities of Eastern Christians are present
worldwide, you are working everywhere to bring relief to the displaced and
to refugees, restoring their dignity and their security in full respect for
their identity and religious freedom".
 Finally, Pope Francis encouraged the participants in the assembly to
pursue the goals set in their last Plenary Session, especially those
regarding the training of young people and teachers, and uniting them with
their interest for the family, especially in view of the upcoming Synod on
this theme. He concluded, "the Holy Family of Nazareth, 'which knew
anxiety ... as well as the pain of persecution, emigration and hard daily
labour' teaches us 'to trust the Father, to imitate Christ and to let
ourselves be guided by the Holy Spirit'".

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 PRESENTATION OF THE INSTRUMENTUM LABORIS FOR THE NEXT SYNOD ASSEMBLY IN OCTOBER
 Vatican City, 26 June 2014 (VIS) - A press conference was held in the Holy
See Press Office this morning to present the Instrumentum Laboris of the
3rd Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (5-19 October
2014) which will focus on "pastoral challenges to the family in the
context of evangelisation". The speakers were Cardinal Lorenzo
Baldisseri, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops; Cardinal Peter Erdo,
archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Hungary, and relator general of the 3rd
Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops; Cardinal Andre
Vingt-Trois, archbishop of Paris, France and delegate president; Archbishop
Bruno Forte of Chieti-Vasto, Italy, and special secretary, and Professors
Francesco Miano and Pina De Simone.

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