"The love of Christ, which has blessed and sanctified the union of
husband and wife, is able to sustain their love and to renew it when,
humanly speaking, it becomes lost, wounded or worn out. The love of Christ
can restore to spouses the joy of journeying together. This is what
marriage is all about: man and woman walking together, wherein the husband
helps his wife to become ever more a woman, and wherein the woman has the
task of helping her husband to become ever more a man. This is the task
that you both share. 'I love you, and for this love I help you to become
ever more a woman'; 'I love you, and for this love I help you to become
ever more a man'. Here we see the reciprocity of differences. The path is
not always a smooth one, free of disagreements, otherwise it would not be
human. It is a demanding journey, at times difficult, and at times
turbulent, but such is life! Within this theology which the word of God
offers us concerning the people on a journey, spouses on a journey, I would
like to give you some advice. It is normal for husband and wife to argue:
it's normal. It always happens. But my advice is this: never let the day
end without having first made peace. Never! A small gesture is sufficient.
Thus the journey may continue. Marriage is a symbol of life, real life: it
is not 'fiction'! It is the Sacrament of the love of Christ and the Church,
a love which finds its proof and guarantee in the Cross. My desire for you
is that you have a good journey, a fruitful one, growing in love. I wish
you happiness. There will be crosses! But the Lord is always there to help
us move forward. May the Lord bless you!".

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 Angelus: the Cross restores hope
 Vatican City, 14 September 2014 (VIS) - At midday today, after celebrating
the marriage of twenty couples from the diocese of Rome, the Pope appeared
at the window of his study to pray the Angelus with the faithful present in
St. Peter's Square.
 Pope Francis commented that today, 14 September, the Church celebrates the
festivity of the Exaltation of the Cross. "Any non-Christian might
ask, why 'exalt' the Cross? We can answer that we do not exalt just any
cross, or all crosses: we exalt Jesus Cross, as it was upon the Cross that
he revealed the extent of God's love for humanity", he explained.
"The Father gave his Son to save us, and this involved the death of
Jesus, and he died on the Cross. Why? Why was the Cross necessary? Because
of the gravity of the evil that had enslaved us. The Cross of Jesus
expresses both of these things: all the negative force of evil, and all the
gentle omnipotence of God's mercy. The Cross appeared to decree Jesus'
demise, but in reality it marked His victory. ... And it is precisely for
this reason that God 'exalted' Jesus, conferring upon Him a universal
kingship".
 "When we turn our gaze to the Cross, where Jesus was nailed", he
continued, "we contemplate the sign of God's infinite love for each
one of us, and the root of our salvation. From this Cross there springs the
mercy of the Father who embraces the entire world. Through the Cross, the
evil one is vanquished and death defeated, we are given life, and hope is
restored to us. ... The Cross of Jesus is our only true hope! This is why
the Chruch exalts the glorious Cross of Jesus, sign of God's immense love,
sign of our salvation, and path to the Resurrection. And this is our
hope".
 "When we contemplate and celebrate the Holy Cross", he
concluded, "we think with emotion of our many brothers and sisters who
are persecuted and killed for their fidelity to Christ. This happens
especially where religious freedom is not guaranteed or fully realised. It
also occurs, however, in countries and in environments where in principle
freedom and human rights are protected, but where in practice believers and
Christians in particular often encounter limitations or discrimination.
Therefore, today we remember them and pray especially for them".

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 Humanity still has not learnt that war is madness
 Vatican City, 14 September 2014 (VIS) - Following today's Marian prayer,
the Holy Father mentioned that tomorrow the Security Council of the United
Nations begins peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic, to
promote peace and protect the civil population that is suffering the
consequences of a long-standing conflict.
 "I assure the peacekeepers of the support and prayer of the Catholic
Church, and encourage the efforts of the international community to come to
the aid of Central Africans of good will. May the violence give way to
dialogue as soon as possible, and may the opposing forces set aside their
particular interests and make the necessary provisions to ensure that every
citizen, of every ethnic and religious group, may collaborate in
constructing the common good. May the Lord accompany this work for
peace!", he exclaimed.
 The Pope went on to speak about his visit on Saturday to the
Austro-Hungarian cemetery and the military monument of Redipuglia, Italy,
where he prayed for those who lost their lives in the First World War.
"The figures are frightening: around eight million fallen soldiers and
around seven million civilians killed. This shows us what madness war is! A
madness from which humanity still has not learnt its lesson: it was
followed by another world war soon after, and many others that are still in
progress. When will we learn this lesson? I invite everyone to look to the
Crucified Jesus to understand that hatred and evil must be met with
forgiveness and goodness, to understand that the solution of war leads only
to more evil and death!"

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 Cardinal Aguilar to take possession of his titular church
 Vatican City, 2014 (VIS) - The Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the
Supreme Pontiff today announced that on Sunday, 21 September, at 11 a.m.,
Cardinal Fernando Sebastian Aguilar, archbishop emeritus of Pamplona y
Tudela, Spain, will take possession of the title of Sant'Angela Merici (Via
di Sant'Angela Merici, 57).

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 Audiences
 Vatican City, 2014 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in audience
Daniel Ruben Herrera Piedrabuena, federal judge of La Rioja, with his wife
and entourage.

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 Other Pontifical Acts
 Vatican City, 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Msgr. Marcus
Stock as bishop of Leeds (area 5,033, population 2,068,000, Catholics
157,766, priests 182, permanent deacons 24, religious 149), England. The
bishop-elect was born in London, England in 1961 and was ordained a priest
in 1988. He studied theology at Oxford University and dogmatic theology at
the Pontifical Gregorian University. He has served in a number of pastoral
roles, including parish priest of "St. Birinus" in
Dorchester-on-Thames, "St. Peter's" in Bloxwich, and Coleshill,
and director of Catholic schools for the archdiocese of Birmingham. He is
currently secretary general of the Episcopal Conference of England and
Wales and advisor to the Heythrop College Faculty of Theology, London. In
2011 he was nominated Prelate of Honour of His Holiness.

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