VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXIV - # 74
DATE 25-04-2014

Summary:
- SOUTHERN AFRICAN BISHOPS: CONSISTENT WITNESS TO THE MORAL TEACHING OF THE GOSPEL
- POPE FRANCIS CONGRATULATES THE COMPATRIOTS OF THE TWO POPE SAINTS
- THE POPE RECALLS THE INFECTIOUS JOY OF ST. JOSE DE ANCHIETA
- AUDIENCES
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
- NOTICE

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 SOUTHERN AFRICAN BISHOPS: CONSISTENT WITNESS TO THE MORAL TEACHING OF THE GOSPEL
 Vatican City, 25 April 2014 (VIS) - The bishops of the Southern African
Catholic Bishops' Conference, from South Africa, Botswana and Swaziland,
were received in audience by Pope Francis this morning, at the end of their
"ad limina" visit. Francis handed them his prepared address, in
which he recalls the arduous labours of the missionaries and the men and
women of these countries in sowing the seed of faith and reaching out to
the people in the villages, towns and cities, and especially in the
ever-expanding urban townships. He emphasised the "flourishing
parishes, thriving often against very great odds: far distances between
communities and a dearth of material resources". He praised the
efforts made for the preparation of permanent deacons and the formation of
lay catechists to assist the clergy where there are few priests.
 "Priests and religious brothers and sisters are of one mind and heart
in their service of God's most vulnerable sons and daughters: widows,
single mothers, the divorced, children at risk and especially the several
million AIDS orphans, many of whom head households in rural areas. Truly
the richness and joy of the Gospel is being lived and shared by Catholics
with others around them". The Pope remarks that, despite the
difficulties faced by Catholic minority communities in countries where many
religions are present, "the richness and joy of the Gospel is being
living and shared by Catholics with others around them", and he prays
that they "will continue to persevere in building up the Lord's
Kingdom with their lives that testify to the truth, and with the work of
their hands that ease the sufferings of so many".
 He notes the serious pastoral challenges communities face, according to
the bishops, such as the declining birth rate which affects the number of
vocations, the tendency of some Catholics to drift away from the Church in
favour of other groups who seem to promise something better, and abortion,
which "compounds the grief of many women who now carry within them
deep physical and spiritual wounds after succumbing to the pressure of a
secular culture which devalues God's gift of sexuality and the right to
life of the unborn". He adds, "the rate of separation and divorce
is high, even in many Christian families, and children frequently do not
grow up in a stable home environment. We also observe with great concern,
and can only deplore, an increase in violence against women and children.
All these realities threaten the sanctity of marriage, the stability of
life in the home and consequently the life of society as a whole. In this
sea of difficulties, we bishops and priests must give a consistent witness
to the moral teaching of the Gospel".
 The Holy Father expresses his appreciation for the unity of the bishops
with their people and their solidarity with the vast number of unemployed
in their countries. "Most of your people can identify at once with
Jesus Who was poor and marginalised, Who had no place to lay His
head". He asks the prelates to offer, alongside the material support
they provide, "the greater support of spiritual assistance and sound
moral guidance". He also comments on the reduced number of priests and
seminarians, and urges "the authentic promotion of vocations in every
territory, a prudent selection of candidates for seminary studies, fatherly
encouragement of those men in formation, and attentive accompaniment in the
years after ordination".
 Likewise, he encourages the rediscovery of the sacrament of
reconciliation, "as a fundamental dimension of the life of
grace", and emphasises that "Christian matrimony is a lifelong
covenant of love between one man and one woman; it entails real sacrifices
in order to turn away from illusory notions of sexual freedom and in order
to foster conjugal fidelity", and approves the bishops' programmes of
preparation for the sacrament of marriage, which are "inspiring young
people with new hope for themselves and for their future as husbands and
wives, fathers and mothers".
 Finally, he refers to the bishops' concerns regarding the "breakdown
of Christian morals, including a growing temptation to collude with
dishonesty", an issue the bishops addressed in their pastoral
statement on corruption, in which they note that "corruption is theft
from the poor ... hurts the most vulnerable ... harms the whole community
... destroys our trust". "The Christian community is called be be
consistent in its witness to the virtues of honesty and integrity, so that
we may stand before the Lord, and our neighbours, with clean hands and a
pure heart, as a leaven of the Gospel in the life of society". He
concludes, "With this moral imperative in mind, I know that you will
continue to address this and other grave social concerns, such as the
plight of refugees and migrants. May these men and women always be welcomed
by our Catholic communities, finding in them open hearts and homes as they
seek to begin a new life".

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 POPE FRANCIS CONGRATULATES THE COMPATRIOTS OF THE TWO POPE SAINTS
 Vatican City, 25 April 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has sent a video
message to the Polish faithful, compatriots of Pope John Paul II, and a
written message to the citizens of Bergamo, the province in which the
village of "Sotto il Monte", birthplace of Pope John XXIII, is
located.
 In his video message, rebroadcast by Polish Television (TVP) and by Polish
Radio, the Pope remarks that he is happy to be able to proclaim John Paul
II a saint, and expresses his gratitude to the Polish Pope for his
"tireless service, is spiritual guidance, for bringing the Church into
the third millennium of faith, and for his extraordinary witness of
holiness". Francis recalls the words Pope Benedict XVI used to
describe Pope Wojtyla in the homily of his beatification in May 2011:
"society, culture, political and economic systems he opened up to
Christ, turning back with the strength of a titan - a strength which came
to him from God - a tide which appeared irreversible. By his witness of
faith, love and apostolic courage, accompanied by great human charisma,
this exemplary son of Poland helped believers throughout the world not to
be afraid to be called Christian, to belong to the Church, to speak of the
Gospel. In a word: he helped us not to fear the truth, because truth is the
guarantee of liberty".
 In his message to the citizens of Bergamo, published in the daily
newspaper "L'Eco di Bergamo" with which Pope Roncalli
collaborated during the years of his priesthood, he invites them to
"give thanks to God for his holiness, a great gift to the universal
Church", and he encourages them to "conserve the memory of the
land in which it germinated: a land of profound faith lived in daily life,
in families that are poor but united by the love of the Lord, of
communities capable of sharing in simplicity".

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